


The Path Less Traveled

by Mastrmanipul8r (grahamcrakr)



Category: Johnny's Entertainment, KAT-TUN (Band)
Genre: F/M, Genderswap, Teen Pregnancy, girl!Kame
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-12-11
Updated: 2013-07-03
Packaged: 2017-10-27 05:35:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/292163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grahamcrakr/pseuds/Mastrmanipul8r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>”We all experience those times where we don’t know where to go next. While everyone around you seems so sure they know where they’re going, you feel like you’re going to be left behind…”</p><p>It's been two years since Ryu left for college and Hayato's been missing him. But one day he runs into Kame and initially mistakes her for being Ryu. Their rocky relationship starts from there, bringing unexpected troubles along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: This story contains girl!Kame, as well as Teen Pregnancy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been meaning to write a teen-pregnancy!Akame for quite some time now. I’ve seen one teen pregnancy too many in my short life so I hope you guys might learn something from this!
> 
> P.S. This is the first story I'm posting on AO3! Cross-posted at my LJ!

A full two years had passed since they had all graduated successful from High School; a full two years since they separated and had gone their own way to pursue what they wanted; a full two years of loneliness for Hayato, who was the only one without a sure path to take.

 

Not really knowing what else to do after he received his diploma, he continued his job at Kuma’s restaurant, earning him some funds to help his family out, but that was all he did. Day in and day out, it was only work, and two years had passed since then.

 

Hayato knew he couldn’t work for Kuma for the rest of his life; it wasn’t supposed to be a lifetime career. But he didn’t know what else he could pursue. He was smart, but with street smarts, and that wouldn’t get him a high paying job. As it stood, he was without any purpose.

 

He once asked Yankumi on one of her visits to Kuma’s if he could join her family’s yakuza, thinking it would give him _something_ to do. She, of course, shot him down in flames, and instead she gave her usual encouraging words of, “You can do anything; you just have to set your mind to it.” It didn’t do much to help make a decision, but it was still nice to see Yankumi. It made him think of his days as Kurogin. What he wouldn’t give to see his old friends, but if not all of them, then just Ryu. The young man was always on his mind, _always_.

 

Oh Ryu…the only one who ever fully understood him. Like two halves of one whole, Ryu was the one who completed him. He loved the redhead like a brother…and as a lover as well, though the latter was never fulfilled. If he could see Ryu once more, he would tell the younger man his feelings, but as it stands, they were an ocean apart.

 

“I’m out!” Hayato yelled out to the kitchen. Kuma’s face appeared and he waved goodbye to the large man before stepping outside into a mild Spring evening.

 

He walked down the street, hands stuffed into his jean pockets, lazily walking himself along, no intention of going home quickly reaching in mind. He wandered aimlessly in the streets, watching others hurrying to their next destination, slightly envious that he were not as busy.

 

He was just about to pass the entrance to a book store when he spotted a redheaded clerk through the window. The vibrant color of the hair immediately reminded him of his beloved friend, and without thinking, he entered the store.

 

He was just about to approach the seemingly familiar form of Ryu when his conscious reminded him that he could be mistaken, the redhead was supposed to be in Canada after all. Not wanting to be embarrassed, he slinked into an empty aisle and grabbed the nearest magazine to hide his face into. From behind the safety of the pages, he peeked at the redhead once more.

 

His mind landed on Ryu again and again, reminding him of the distance between them and his lack of a clear path to walk on. Seeing this mysterious person nearly made him break down, his frustration of being incompetent having reached its breaking point. He clenched tightly at the magazine in front of him as he tried to calm down. ‘If I only knew what I wanted to do with my life, maybe this wouldn’t be so difficult.’

 

“Sir? Are you alright?” The sudden voice shook him from his thoughts and he pulled away from the magazine to look at the person.

 

Hayato’s face flushed immediately upon seeing it was the redhead. Finally coming face to face, he was surprised to see Ryu’s features clearly in front of him. “R-Ryu?”

 

“Ryu? I think you might be mistaken, Sir. My name is Kamenashi Kazuya.” Hayato realized then that the voice was much softer and higher than Ryu’s; the person in front of him was not a boy, but a girl. His eyes couldn’t help but roam across her unbelievably close resemblances to Ryu: the red hair, the light brown eyes, those thin, pink lips…

 

“You- You’re a girl though,” he pointed out.

 

Kame tilted her head to one side and chuckled. “I know; I get that a lot. My parents were expecting a boy and were too lazy to pick out another name. I don’t mind though.”

 

Hayato nodded and put down the magazine. “Uh, well sorry for mistaking you for someone else; you almost look exactly like a friend of mind…”

 

“This Ryu person?”

 

“Yeah…He was my best friend.”

 

“Oh? Where is he now?” The curious tone in her voice and her interested look relaxed Hayato enough to surprisingly divulge his thoughts to her.

 

“He’s…studying overseas. We were really close. I just miss him, is all.”

 

“You must really miss him then.”

 

“Well, it’s been two years since I last heard anything from him. I guess he’s really busy.”

 

“And…you’re not?” The direct question from her caught him off guard.

 

If he were still the temperamental High School student he used to be, he might have struck her, regardless of gender, just because he was defensive about that subject. But he was not the same delinquent kid from two years ago, and she was a complete stranger to him who didn’t know any better.

 

The long silence after her question indicated to her that perhaps she’d gone too far. “…I’m sorry. That was probably a little too personal-”

 

“I’m still trying to figure out what I want do,” he cut her off. Kame nodded slowly in silent understanding.

 

She quietly viewed the man standing in front of her, taking in his beautiful features and strong presence, but the lost look in his eyes told her he was soul searching. “We all experience those times where we don’t know where to go next. While everyone around you seems so sure they know where they’re going, you feel like you’re going to be left behind…”

 

Hayato’s eyes widened as she hit the nail square on the head. She continued, “When it comes to that, there’s nothing wrong with taking a little time to figure out your path. Sooner or later, that path you were meant to follow will suddenly open up before you and things will be clear.”

 

He was surprised by her wise words and caring look. Here was a stranger, though looking every bit the same as his best friend Ryu, giving him similar wise advice the aforementioned friend would give. The smallest bit of a smile began to tug at his lips and he mumbled a quick thanks.

 

“Kamenashi-san! Where are you? There are still books that need to be stocked!” The yell from her manager caused Kame to peak around Hayato and roll her eyes. Hayato took that as the signal saying it was time to leave.

 

“Guess you have to get back to work. Well, ah, sorry again for confusing you with my friend again, Kamenashi-san…I should get going…” Hayato nervously scratched his head and lamely shuffled in his spot.

 

Kame saw this and nodded, “O-Okay, I’ll see you around then…” Her look reminded Hayato that he didn’t introduce himself yet.

 

“Ah, Yabuki Hayato…is my name.”

 

“Yabuki-san…Hope to see you again soon then,” Kame smiled politely to him, making Hayato’s heart unexpectedly skip a beat. He gave her a shy smile back and waved before leaving the store.

 

Hayato was completely flustered after leaving the store. It’s not every day you run into a Ryu doppelganger, and a female one at that. It was obviously too much to hope that Ryu would return to Japan any time soon. The red-haired man had his own path to pursue after all, unlike him.

 

Unknowingly, while caught up in his thoughts, he walked himself all the way home. Seeing no point in continuing his aimless walking when he was already home, he entered the dark house and easily navigated himself to his room. He didn’t feel like turning on a light just yet, finding the darkness helpful for sorting out his thoughts, especially when they kept vacillating between Ryu and his pathless life.

 

He really, _really_ wanted to see Ryu again. He wanted to see that strong, unwavering gaze Ryu always had; feel the heat his body emitted when they were right next to each other, supporting each other; touch his soft skin that bled and bruised so easily from the fights they fought side by side in. He wanted Ryu…But most likely, he couldn’t have him.

 

At that moment, the bookstore clerk’s face reappeared crystal clearly in his mind, as it had been since he left the bookstore. A perfect female Ryu look-a-like…He wouldn’t have known any better that it wasn’t Ryu, if her defining physical attributes didn’t tell him. It was like they were long lost twins; they were that similar.

 

Maybe this was a sign, the start of something new for him. Here he was, a young man soul searching and trying to find what he should do with his life. He couldn’t actually have Ryu, but here was his female double, fully within reach. The idea of pursuing her and starting a relationship passed through his mind and he didn’t find himself rejecting it at all.

 

‘Kamenashi Kazuya…Maybe you are the Ryu I’m meant to have.’ And for the first time in a long time, Hayato felt that long missed feeling of determination spreading through him.

 

XXXXX

 

Since Hayato made the decision that he wanted to have a relationship with her, he wanted to see her again. It was mostly to fill his desire to see Ryu, but the remaining bit was actually to hear her calming voice once more.

 

He visited her at the same time he did the night before, surprising her with his reappearance in the store. He didn’t talk to her for too long, she was working after all, but it was enough that he was happy. He hinted that he would be back again to visit her and walked away from the store a lot lighter than days before, the smallest hint of a smile playing on his lips once again.

The evening after that, he was back again, and this time he walked away with her number stored into his phone, and her e-mail in his contacts so he could message her when he’d like. That very same night, he decided to test her e-mail address by texting her a “good night,” earning him a, “sweet dreams” with a smiley face after it. It wasn’t a deep message, but it still carried the weight of him feeling good about their new friendship.

The days following that were filled with messages in the mornings and afternoons, and visits to the bookstore at night. Lots of talking and conversations had Hayato’s interest in Kame growing more and more every day. He learned she was seventeen and in her last year of High School, with intentions of being a nurse once she graduated. She had three brothers and was the second youngest out of all of them but wasn’t afraid to take them on. She proved to be a hard worker, always helpful and always smiling, always giving her all. And of course, she was beautiful, with creamy skin like Ryu’s, vibrant fiery red hair that framed her perfect face, and nearly the same light brown eyes his friend had.

He seriously felt like he was actually with Ryu again, although a much more feminine version, feeling that same level of comfort and acceptance that the redhead used to give him. The feelings he had for Ryu were resurfacing quickly, and he began desiring Kame even more.

 

About a month into their friendship, while walking through the park right next to the bookstore after Kame was finished with her work, Hayato stopped them in front of a large water fountain. He surprised her by taking her hand and pulling her into a hug, whispering, “I like you,” into her ear.

 

Kame was completely taken aback, but she gave him her sweet smile before returning the embrace and saying, “I like you a lot too.” It was the start of their relationship and both were excited to be with each other.

 

Hayato never felt happier, feeling accomplished for the first time in what seemed like forever.

 

But at the back of his mind, he questioned his desire for Kame, if it was really for Kame, or if it was really for Ryu. He loved Ryu, but that could possibly be the only reason why he was even interested in Kame in the first place.

 

And yet Kame’s personality attracted Hayato like no other. He loved discovering all of her likes and dislikes, figuring out her quirks and teasing her for them so he could see the many different expressions she could make. He loved Kame too.

 

The path that Hayato had decided to go down by starting his relationship with Kame had only just begun, and the obstacles that came with every course were waiting in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, this is a little deeper the subject than I’ve usually written for the JE fandom, but certainly not something I’ve never written before (I have…). But I’ve made things a little more complicated for myself with this plot.
> 
> Namely, Hayato’s got two main problems: he’s goalless, and he’s slightly hung up about being separated from Ryu. How he’s going to get out of being without a goal, I’ve got that figured out. As for how he’s gonna get over Ryu, well, that’s still in the works, but Kame’s gonna win, of course.
> 
> I hope things don’t get too confusing. The point of view will sometimes shift as the story progresses. Right now it’s mainly from Hayato’s, but you’ll definitely get to hear more from Kame’s side soon.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Adult/Minor Sex! (Though they're only 2-3 years apart...)

The loud tone of Kame’s cell phone rang throughout the room, indicating its owner of a new text message. One sleepy hand came out from under bed sheets to grab the offending object off of the nightstand and flip it open.

“Good morning, Kazu! Love you, Haya,” read the screen.

Kame immediately flipped the sheets off of her and stared at the small screen again in happiness. With this message she was reminded that it was the day after Hayato’s confession to her. She couldn’t help but have the biggest smile on her face just thinking that she was now in a relationship! It was a whole new world for her and she was excited to see what it would bring.

She prepared quickly for the day, a spring to her every step. She gave a bubbly greeting to her family before bouncing out the door, earning curious looks from them; but she paid them no heed as she was already making her way to school, passing by her best friend’s house on the way.

“Guess what, Tat-chan!” Kamenashi Kazuya suddenly blurted out to her best friend as they were walking to school.

The light brown haired girl next to Kame, Ueda Tatsuya, rolled her eyes and looked expectantly at her. “What?”

“Hayato and I are dating now!”

Ueda stopped immediately in her tracks and stared dumbfounded at Kame. “You’re seriously dating that guy?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“He’s twenty! And you barely know him; it’s only been a month since you first met him!”

“What does that have to do with anything? Hayato is a nice guy! He’s been really respectful of me so far.”

Ueda sighed, “I’m just worried, is all. You met each other just because you resemble his friend. Doesn’t that seem like he’s using you?”

Kame hadn’t thought about that, but it sounded like a possibility. “I don’t want to think of it that way, but maybe…”

“Are you sure you still want to be with him then?”

Hayato’s smiling face appeared in her mind and she found herself blushing happily at the image. “Yeah, I do. Because I really like him.”

XXXXX

Hayato and Kame had been dating each other for about two weeks, and things between them were better than ever. Hayato was a complete sweetheart to Kame and showered her with his love and affection.

The older man never gave away any hints that he was possibly using Kame as a replacement for Ryu, and so her heart wanted to fully give way to Hayato’s affection, but her mind held her back. No doubt, she was starting to fall even more in love with him, but to protect her heart she had to restrain herself, if it were true.

Of course, Hayato was greatly reminded of Ryu every time he looked at Kame; he loved the aspects of her that were so similar to Ryu, like their determination and care for others. But there were several differences as well, and he’d come to accept and love all of them.

It was just when he mixed up his information on both of them and ended up making the situation awkward, and that happened one time too many unfortunately.

One time he bought her a parfait as a treat, but it was covered in raisins...and she hated raisins. And he was just about to say that he remembered she liked them, when it was really Ryu who didn’t mind the dried fruit.

Another time he brought her to a game arcade to play a round of billiards. He passed her a cue and failed to notice her confused look as he busied himself with setting up the balls. When he looked up again, he saw Kame holding the stick awkwardly and was biting her lip, and he realized she didn’t know how to play; Ryu did.

Through small incidents like those, Hayato slowly began to see how much of Ryu he would put into Kame’s personality. But what he was still failing to see was whether or not he was projecting his feelings for Ryu onto Kame.

XXXXX

Hayato and Kame had finally reached the One Month Anniversary in their relationship. It was Saturday and the young couple was together on a lunch date, eating at an Italian restaurant they randomly found that day. The service was good, the food was great, and the two lovers were enjoying their time together.

Kame was very happy that they had made it to one whole month together. There were times when she doubted him and it slightly helped in reminding her to control her feelings, but the walls were quickly crumbling down with every excited beat her heart would give in response to Hayato’s affection.

Since that day Ueda planted the thought in her mind, she felt anxious, scared to know if Hayato was really using her in place of Ryu. She had to know whether or not Hayato’s feelings for her were real. She had to get the anxiety and wonder off of her chest. Was Hayato’s heart hers, or was it Ryu’s, his best friend?

Their lunch date at the restaurant ended soon enough, with Hayato picking up the bill. He walked the both of them out and led them down the street hand in hand. Kame enjoyed how Hayato’s large hand covered hers, how it was slightly rough, but gentle and warm. Was he this nice to her because she looked like Ryu?

Working out the ultimatum she had in mind, she clutched tighter to Hayato’s hand and smiled brightly to him. “Haya, I want to see your house.”

Hayato’s brow raised in surprise. “Why the sudden desire?”

“Well, you’ve been to my house quite a few times to drop me off from work, it would only be fair that I see yours, right?”

“True...” The young man looked unsure for a second before finally nodding. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. It’s messy though. There are only three men living in it after all.”

It was all a part of Kame’s plan to determine Hayato’s love for her, and tell him how much she cared as well.

XXXXX

The door to the apartment swung open and Hayato gestured Kame to enter. After removing their shoes at the doorway, Hayato led her deeper into his home. “So, this is it.”

Kame took a good look around, curiosity and wonder on her face. It truly was a household filled with men; there wasn’t a single article around that screamed feminine. It was a tad messy like Hayato had mentioned, but it somehow gave the place a homey feel. “I like it.”

He snorted, “Seriously?”

“It feels lived in, and I like that.” Her grin told Hayato she was honest, and he was surprised she felt that way but happy too.

“Wanna...see my bedroom?”

Perfect. “Oh, sure!” Hayato guided them the short distance to his room and opened the door for her. As soon as she entered, she was surprised to see the large amount of posters of musical bands and half-naked models all over his room, with clothes and a few magazines that littered the floor. There wasn’t much with regards to real furniture. A low western-style bed, a set of drawers, one cabinet, and a desk was all he really had.

She took one step further into the room, only to hear the sound of paper crinkling under her feet. She looked down and was about to pick up the magazine she stepped on, when Hayato immediately snatched it from her hands. “That! Umm, that...is personal...”

Peeking at the cover quickly before he slid it into a drawer in his desk, she saw it was an ero magazine. She rolled her eyes. Boys... “It smells of you,” she commented after plopping herself on his bed.

“...Is that a bad thing?”

She grabbed his pillow and hugged it before lying herself down fully on the mattress. “Not at all. I love your smell.”

The older man covered up the blush that filled his face with a cough into his hand. After regaining his composure, he moved to sit himself on the bed next to Kame. A moment of silence passed between them, both just staring around the room, looking from item to item strewn about the space.

It was time. Finally, the silence was broken by Kame. “You know I love you, right?”

“Of course. And I love you too, Kazuya.”

Their eyes met and she stared at him seriously. “Do you really?”

His brow furrowed in confusion. What was she getting at?

“Hayato, you didn’t decide to date me because I look like your friend, Ryu, right?”

The quiet question caught Hayato completely off guard. “Kazu, what makes you think that?”

“W-Well, I was just remembering how we first met. You missed your friend so much, you mistook me for him!”

“Kazu-” But Hayato was unable to say a thing as Kame cut him off.

“Because I’ve felt insecure for a while now. I’ve been trying to hold back my feelings, but it’s proven impossible. I love you too much!” She clutched at the pillow in her arms even tighter. “I just want to hear the truth.”

The older man frowned; he didn’t know Kame felt this way at all so he didn’t think this conversation would ever come up. It couldn’t be denied though that these thoughts had come up in mind. Who was he really in love with? He was sure he had feelings for Kame, but he knew he still had feelings for Ryu as well.

“I...I shouldn’t lie to you. I definitely have deep feelings for Ryu, and because of your uncanny resemblance to him, I’ve been expressing some of those feelings through you,” he started off. “But I do love you too. I’ve come to love you for you.”

“But you do still love Ryu?”

“Yes...I guess. I still think of him a lot and still wish he were here with me. But even if he were here...him and I, I doubt we would be able to start a relationship. Social standing and his family would get in the way for sure. But even then, he probably doesn’t even feel the same.”

“Then why do you still long for him?”

“Because if not as a lover, I’d still want him by my side as my best friend. I’d be content with that.”

She sighed and moved the pillow aside. “Just remain friends and never tell him your feelings? And what happiness would you gain from never being with the one you love even though you’re right next to them? That’s not a path you should take.”

“Then what do you suggest I do?”

“Follow your heart. If your heart desires to be with Ryu, then follow it. If it is to be with me, then so be it. But whichever path you choose with your heart, it will be sure to bring you happiness.”

Hayato took a moment to look at Kame and saw how serious she was, but how sad as well. She was clearly disappointed in hearing that she was, in part, a replacement for Ryu. “I desire Ryu...” He saw her tense up. He quickly added in, “But I desire you too.”

There eyes locked with each others’ once more. “It’s selfish of me, Hayato, but I don’t think I can be content with just some of your love. I want all of it, because I really do love you.”

He frowned. “But I don’t know if I can give that to you, especially when I still am not sure about my feelings.”

Kame sat herself up in the bed and moved in close to Hayato. She was preparing herself to make the big leap. “Then really give us a chance. Love me and see if your heart agrees.”

Hayato continued to look insecure so she went for the ultimatum: “Just to prove how much I love you, I’ll give you my virginity.”

His eyes widened to disks and his heart began to race a mile a minute. “What?! No, you shouldn’t give that to me just to prove your love!”

Kame huffed and rolled her eyes. She grabbed Hayato’s face and pulled him into a long, deep kiss, further trying to entice him by running a hand down his chest. The room suddenly felt warmer and the air felt harder to bring in.

“Are- Are you sure?”

“Hayato, I want to do this. I’m ready and I want to give this to you.” Her small hands carefully held his face, having him look right into her eyes. “I love you. And if you love me too, then you will respect my decision.”

The determination he saw in her eyes made his heart squeeze in his chest. Here he was, unsure of his feelings and vacillating between who he should love, yet Kame was so sure of her love for him. She was right; he had to really give them a chance, to try devoting himself to her alone. Decision now made, he said, “I love you too, Kazuya.”

His lips covered hers eagerly, coaxing them both into a passionate state. One by one their clothes began to disappear and the heat between them began to build. As this was her first time, the feelings that were filling Kame were all new and fantastic, and she was happily drowning in it. She gasped and shivered at every little thing Hayato did to her, overly sensitized from excitement.

It was not Hayato’s first, but he was gentle with the young woman in his arms. Each soft caress and every light kiss was filled with tenderness. He wanted Kame’s first experience to be gentle and pleasurable; it was the least he could give her after confusing her feelings so much.

When he touched her most secretive place her immediate reaction was a jerk away from his hand. “What are you doing, Haya?!” came her immediate question.

“I’m touching you to give you pleasure...”

“But you have to touch there?”

Hayato chuckled, knowing that he was definitely dealing with a virgin. “Don’t be ashamed, Kazu. I assure you, you’ll feel amazing.”

He lightly fingered her, invoking more and more new feelings within Kame that had her squirming on top of his bed sheets. Looking down at her, he saw a goddess, with her light skin flushed a healthy hue and her flaming red hair strewn across his pillow. Right now he didn’t see Ryu, he saw Kame. He only saw Kame; he only saw love.

He watched as she convulsed and twitched underneath him, shivering with a groan as she came for the first time in her life. Her hand came up and clutched at his shoulder, looking for some kind of anchor to bring her back to reality after the shattering waves of pleasure that consumed her.

While she was still coming down from her high, Hayato prepared himself at her entrance, covering himself lightly with the juices that had spilled out of her. Carefully he nudged himself forward, entering her tight and sacred space.

“Kazuya-ah...This is going to- going to hurt.” He said once he felt the barrier of her hymen.

Kame’s face was slightly filled with discomfort, feeling her inner muscles trying to adjust to Hayato’s size, but she nodded in response and entwined her hands with his. With a nod of her head, Hayato pushed forward and broke through her maidenhead, once again pausing when he settled all the way in.

She bit her lips to contain the cry that almost got loose, instead a small whimper escaped her. He waited patiently for the pain to subside before he moved again, trying to escalate her pleasure once more. It didn’t take too long to help distract her from the pain. His movements were steadily increasing and she was starting to find the pace and return each of his thrusts.

Hayato felt his heart swell with a pleasure that burst forth from deep within. It made him feel complete while deep within the young woman in his arms and something was telling him it was right.

It was love.

Their bodies had finally became one; skin to skin, heart to heart, the consummation of their love was gentle and beautiful. With shared breaths, they came together, the others’ name a mantra from their mouths. Kame’s inner muscles squeezed around Hayato and he emptied every drop of himself deep within her.

Hayato slumped heavily on top of Kame, still buried within her. Soft kisses peppered each others’ face in the aftermath of their climax. With their energy spent from their love making, they slowly fell asleep, still entangled with each other.

“I love you...” They both whispered to each other before the throes of sleep took over them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /Hides/ Well that was a bitch to write! I seriously think I made Kame sound like a horny, need girlfriend, and Hayato an indecisive emo loser. (>.>)
> 
> I swear it’ll get better from here on out. Next time we’ll start heading for the real substance of this story: Teen Pregnancy.


	3. Chapter 3

A little more than a month had passed since their first night together, but there were several more nights they shared beyond that initial time. They were both happy, both so deeply in love; it seemed nothing could ruin their relationship.

 

Hayato did his best to keep his focus on Kame only, to devote his love entirely to her. He was doing well for the most part; Ryu was kept at the very back of his mind as the relationship he never had. It allowed him to love Kame without problem.

It was another night where the young couple was cuddling in the aftermath of their love-making. Hayato’s arm was wrapped gently around Kame’s waist, holding her close to his chest to revel in her comfortable form.

Kame was relaxed against his chest, warm and satiated. She shifted herself just enough to be able to look up at Hayato. “I love you, Haya,” she smiled.

“I love you too.” He returned the smile and was just about to kiss her when he saw her eyes widen in panic and her hand cover her mouth. She scrambled out of the bed and hurried to the bathroom, her stomach flopping wildly within.

As soon as her face was over the toilet, she released the contents of last night’s dinner, trembling slightly at the revolting action. Hayato appeared midway through her vomiting and dropped to his knees to offer her support. He held her hair away from her face and soothed her back with gentle rubs until she stopped.

 

“Ugh. What just happened?” Kame pulled away from the toilet seat with a deep frown on her face.

 

“Maybe dinner didn’t sit well with you tonight?”

 

“I hope that’s it.” She flushed the toilet and washed her hands and mouth before being escorted back to Hayato’s bed.

 

“I’m sure it’ll go away soon. Just rest, babe.” Hayato cooed as he cupped her face and landed a light kiss on her lips.

 

He moved to spoon the smaller woman and brought her close to him to bury his face into her neck. Kame settled against his chest and felt Hayato’s arms wrap around her waist, resting his hands atop her tummy. She couldn’t help but smile at the comfortable position. She felt warm and safe; it felt so right.

 

She wanted things to always be this calm; but the calm always comes before the storm.

 

XXXXX

 

It was gym time at school and Kame felt horrible. She felt tired, a little achy, and her stomach was flopping everywhere. She felt horribly sick.

 

“Are you okay, Kame-chan?” Ueda felt for her friend’s temperature upon seeing how pale she was.

Kame groaned and shook her head. “I’ve been feeling nauseous and dizzy all morning. I felt like this a few evenings ago too.”

“Was it something you are? Maybe it didn’t agree with your stomach or settle right?”

“That’s what Hayato was thinking. I don’t know though...all I know is that I don’t feel good and I don’t know why.”

“Well hopefully it’ll quickly pass through.”

“I sure hope so. I’m going to ask Kawasaki-sensei if I can just sit out gym class today. I don’t think I can do it.”

“Hmm, okay. Feel better, ne?” Ueda patted Kame’s back before shutting her locker and following some of the girls out of the locker room.

Kame leaned against her locker and felt for her temperature, completely miffed about her sudden illness. “What in the world is wrong with me?”

Her thoughts were interrupted when she overheard some of the last few girls getting ready. “Hey, Aya, can you lend me a tampon? We’re swimming today and I can’t risk a leak in the pool.”

“Oh, that sucks! Having your period on pool day is the worst.”

Her period.

Suddenly, it hit Kame that she hadn’t gotten her period for a while. Kame’s mind immediately began to go over when was the last time she had it, and sadly she was having difficulty remembering. Counting back the days, she was reminded that she had it two months ago, but after that...

“I think I had it just before my first time with Hayato...that was a little over a month ago!” Realization was starting to settle in, causing her eyes to widen considerably. “A missed menstrual cycle might mean I’m...”

Pregnant.

The word hit her like a ton of bricks. She didn’t even think this could happen to her. Yeah, she heard stories about this situation, but you never really take them seriously until you end up in the same spot. Now she might be in the predicament, and she was at a loss of what to do.

Her stomach suddenly churned unfavorably within from the anxiety and stress she was beginning to feel. Unable to push down the need to vomit, she ran herself to the nearest toilet and heaved up the contents of her stomach. When done, she sat against the cold tile floor of the bathroom, sighing in relief and in frustration while wondering what she would do next.

‘I don’t know if I really am...pregnant. My period just might be extremely late, is all.’ She grimaced and realized how in denial she was about the situation. So many of her current symptoms were pointing towards pregnancy; there was a higher chance that she was pregnant versus not with these signs.

“I guess I’ll have to buy a test. That will prove and confirm everything.” And if it were true, then her whole life was about to drastically change.

XXXXX

Right as soon as school ended, Kame said goodbye to her friends and called her work to say that she was feeling a little sick. Her next destination was to a convenience far away from both her home and her school so no one would catch her buying pregnancy tests and get suspicious.

Thankfully her school’s uniform had a plain white dress shirt, covered by a blazer with the school’s crest emblazoned on the front, and a plain black pencil skirt. She could just remove the blazer and she would look almost professional. It would help disguise her from looking like a teenager while buying the item.

Kame covered her eyes with sunglasses before stepping into the store, hoping it would add to her disguise. She walked through the store looking for the aisle that would contain the test. Her eyes scanned the items, and when she found it, she stopped to look at them.

“There are so many tests...” Kame bit her lip as she looked at the box covers. “I’m not even sure which one to get!” Unsurely she grabbed at one of the boxes and hurried away to check out. She grabbed a few other items as well to hopefully cover up her purchase.

Putting it down on the counter, the man began to scan them through. She noticed him look down at the test and then at her with minor inquisition but quickly brush it off. Kame grimaced when she saw him ring up the pregnancy test and drop it into a bag. “That will be 2000 yen please, miss.”

The young woman quickly made the purchase and left, clutching the bag close to her. With that embarrassing task out of the way, she hurried home and quickly locked herself in her bathroom.

“I can’t believe I just went and bought this.” She took out the box and fumbled with the package, taking out the test and viewing the instructions so that she could begin the test.

“I can’t believe I’m even about to do this!” Following the directions on the box, she nervously started the test.

They were pretty simple, pee on the stick and wait for the result to show, but waiting was the issue. A full five minutes to wait for the verdict; they were the longest five minutes in her entire life.

She moped and contended with herself over a future that was quickly becoming muddled. What would she do if she were pregnant? Keep it? If she kept it, what would she do then? She was still in school! She was still a _minor_! And her plans to move on to college...would that even happen now?

The timer on her phone went off and she hesitatingly reached for the stick. Two lines were clearly visible in the little window; two lines that, according to its box, said she was pregnant.

 

“No...no, it can’t be true...” Her eyes became blurry with tears as she continued to stare at the undeniable result on the stick. She slowly slid herself down against a wall, covering her face with her hands as she began to cry.

“I-I’m pregnant...” she sobbed. “I’m...oh my god...”

How in the world was she going to tell Hayato? How was she going to be able to tell anyone?! She was so ashamed of herself, allowing this mistake to happen.

She continued to reprimand herself till late into the night, only falling asleep when she was exhausted.

XXXXX

The next morning, Kame woke up feeling very drained, but as soon as memories from last night flooded her mind, she knew why. Instinctively her hand landed on her tummy, and though there wasn’t even the slightest bump, she somehow felt she knew it was there.

Barely a minute after that and she was sprinting to her bathroom, her stomach flopping nauseously within her. She vomited within the toilet, as had become her new daily routine, and did her best to remain as silent as possible for fear of her family finding out.

As soon as the retching stopped, she slumped against the floor, feeling drained and disgusted. She honestly didn’t have the will to get up, but knowing it wouldn’t turn the situation around forced her back on her feet. She finished up in the bathroom after brushing her teeth and applying just enough makeup to hide how pale she looked from her morning sickness.

“God, Kazuya...what are you going to do?” she asked herself after looking in the mirror one last time.

Kame finished preparing herself for school and headed out the door, only to be surprised to see Hayato waiting for her outside on his motorbike. “Hey, babe!”

‘Babe...’ Her thoughts immediately went back to her unexpected pregnancy, and she bit her lip nervously. Hayato was undoubtedly the father, and yet here he was, unaware of the news and lovingly waiting for her to take her to school. She wanted to break down and cry right there.

But in order to avoid suspicion, Kame eagerly/happily approached her boyfriend and pecked him on the cheek once she was close enough. “Good morning!”

“Well aren’t you in a chipper mood.” Hayato smirked.

“It’s not every day your boyfriend gives you a ride to school.”

“True...As long as you’re happy, luv.” Hayato kissed Kame on the forehead before passing her a helmet and putting his own on. “Hold on tight, Kazu.”

Kame’s hands wrapped around Hayato’s waist and she squeezed herself close to his back. With her stomach pressed against him, once again Kame couldn’t help but visualize what it would look like swollen with a child. She wouldn’t be able to hold Hayato like this. In fact, once she told him the truth, she might never get to hold him again.

Hayato started up the bike and soon they were speeding down the road towards Kame’s high school. Moments like these were rare, since Hayato was usually already at work when she was heading out to school, but she appreciated it every time. ‘He’ll probably run once I tell him what’s happened.’

The ride was fairly short, and once Hayato stopped his bike in front of the entrance, Kame slid off. “Thanks for the ride, Haya.” She showed her appreciation by bringing him into a long kiss.

Students passing by easily saw the passionate lip lock, but Hayato barely cared and brought an arm up to wrap around Kame’s waist. They broke apart when they heard the first bell indicating class was starting soon.

“You are _really_ happy today, Kazu,” Hayato smirked. She innocently shrugged her shoulders and grinned. “Did something good happen?”

“Possibly...but I can’t tell you right now. I have to go to class.” She unwillingly pulled away from Hayato’s embrace and grabbed her bag from his bike.

“Aww, with you teasing me like this, I really want to hear it. I’ll pick you up after school too then.” He winked and Kame gave him the best smile she could muster before waving and heading into the school grounds.

‘Will I even be ready to tell him that soon?’

XXXXX

That day was a challenge to get through. Kame constantly felt the need to throw up, but she did her best to keep it down; she couldn’t let anyone catch on to her pregnancy just yet. She was just a month and a half pregnant right now, but time was going to move quickly, and she’d be showing before she knew it.

It was the last class of the day, a self-study session for the serious students, and a goof-off period for the carefree ones. Kame was usually one of the students studying, but today she could barely focus. With her stomach constantly flopping and her mind going over how she’d tell Hayato what’s happened, school work was the least of her worries.

“Kame-chan...? Is something wrong?” The concerned voice of her dear friend, Ueda, got her attention.

She thought over telling the older girl that she’d fucked up and had gotten pregnant, but she knew she’d hear her friend say, “I told you so,” and didn’t want to hear the disappointment from her friend when she was already feeling down enough. “It’s nothing...”

“So if nothing’s wrong, then why do you obviously look like something’s wrong?”

Kame bit her lip. Did she look that obviously anxious? “I...can’t tell you just yet,” she said carefully. She saw Ueda’s eyes narrow suspiciously.

“Why can’t you tell me?”

“Because I’m trying to work it out for myself first.” Kame met eyes with Ueda and tried to show her friend how serious she was.

Ueda sighed and frowned. “If that’s how you feel...But just know that I’m here for you. I’ll help you with anything I can.”

“Thank you, Tat-chan.”

The period ended without hitch and Kame was soon walking to the front gate with Ueda, waiting for Hayato to come get her. “That reminds me...Is Yabuki treating you well? He’s not forcing you into anything just because he’s older, right?”

“Hayato’s perfect. He treats me gently and with respect. I couldn’t have asked for a better boyfriend.”

At that moment, Hayato rode up on his motorcycle, popping his helmet visor up once he was next to them. “Hey Kazu,” he winked at her. “Afternoon, Ue-chan.”

“I told you not to call me that!” Ueda snarled at him while Kame mounted the bike. “Kame-chan, please tell him to stop calling me that.”

“Oh you know he calls you that because he cares. Just indulge him a little.”

“You spoil him, Kame-chan. He better be treating you as well as you are saying!”

“Don’t you worry. I’m treating her like the princess she is.” Hayato revved up the engine on his bike and handed Kame her helmet. Once it was securely on, they both gave Ueda one last wave and rode away.

Hayato drove them to a park near Kame’s workplace, an area they frequented often when he walked with her after work. They walked to the large fountain that sat in the middle of the park, stopping to sit on a nearby bench. Kame leaned her head against Hayato’s shoulder, taking a moment to enjoy the relaxing sound of water flowing.

Hayato smiled as he looked down at the woman next to him. He loved this woman so much, it made him happy to see her happy. It greatly made him wonder what it is she wanted to talk to him about.

A silence settled between them and Hayato’s gut instinct told him things were about to get very serious. “...Hayato,” he heard Kame start off slowly. It sent a shiver down his spine, hearing the undertone of fear that was within her voice.

“Hayato...we love each other...don’t we?”

Alarms went off in Hayato’s head. Was something wrong with their relationship? Was Kame breaking up with him? His voice trembled as he said, “Y-yeah, of course we do,” afraid to hear what she might say next.

“Then I ask that you don’t hate me for what I’m about to tell you.” Kame bit her lip, gathering her little bit of courage left before finally blurting out, “I’m pregnant with your baby, Hayato.”

Everything suddenly seemed to freeze as the words hit him like a ton of bricks. It took a few seconds for the words to really sink in, but when it did, he was still speechless. Here he was, mentally preparing himself for a break up and yet she caught him completely off guard with news that she is, “...pregnant?”

He saw tears form in her eyes, the glistening brown orbs staring at him with guilt. She nodded slowly and once again her bottom lip was being worried by her teeth. “I’m sorry Haya...”

He slipped himself away from her and stood up, hands finding their way into his hair. Several emotions were flooding through him, confusion, fear, hate, anger, disappointment; so much so, he wasn’t sure how to feel about the whole thing. It was completely unexpected, something he never thought would happen.

“Haya...?”

“You’re lying aren’t you? It’s a joke?”

“You know me, Hayato, I would never lie and joke about something so serious.”

He let out a groan knowing that she told the truth and turned away, frustration clearly marring his features. Clearly anger was leading him at the moment. He paced in front of Kame, trying in vain to calm down. It wasn’t working though.

“How long have you known?”

“Just yesterday. I’m around a month-”

“Okay! Okay...God, this seriously shouldn’t have happened.” He looked at her seriously and asked, “What are you going to do about it?”

“I-I don’t know yet.”

Once again, with anger clouding his mind, he blurted out the heart breaking words, “Abort it.”

“...What?”

“You heard me! Get rid of it!”

“W-why?”

“For gods sake, Kazuya, you’re seventeen and pregnant! You can’t take care of it; you’re still in High School!”

Hearing Hayato’s disapproval changed Kame’s disposition slightly. She became more determined. “What if I want the child? Just because I’m in High School, I can’t provide for a baby? I’ll be graduating this year! What’s wrong with being a young mother then?”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen! This isn’t what you want! You want to be a nurse don’t you? A baby will get in the way of that goal!”

Kame paused momentarily staring at Hayato with the last of her angry tears streaming down her face. “Maybe I’ll choose to go down this path.”

“The path you choose...? You seriously want to go down this path?” His voice was filled with disbelief but it quickly returned to frustration. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to go down that path.”

“So...I’m alone in this then?”

Hayato scoffed in anger and disappointment. “I can’t believe you really want to keep it.”

“I realize it’s going to be a harsh path, not many choose to go down it, but I want to. My _heart_ is telling me to.”

He was made speechless once more. She seriously wanted to do this? Regardless of what others thought? He couldn’t even imagine doing that.

 

“I- I need to think this over. I love you, Kazuya, but this is a little much to take in.”

 

Kame rose to her feet with a stoic expression on her face. “No, I understand. You don’t want to rise to the occasion and take responsibility.” She began to walk away, only to stop once more to leave him with one last thought.

 

“You’re afraid to go down your path. You should trust your heart more.”

 

She left him at that, the tears starting to flow down her cheeks once more. But she never turned back to face him; she was resolute in her decision: she was going to keep this child.


	4. Chapter 4

Kame came home that evening feeling emotionally exhausted. Appropriately, as soon as she entered her room and locked it behind her, she collapsed onto her bed and buried her face into the pillows. Now alone, the tears she tried so hard to keep in began to leak out.

 

“How could I have been so stupid?” She sobbed, hugging the sheets closer to herself.

 

A high school student and knocked up…And she wanted to keep the child. Brave, but perhaps she’s being too naïve about the whole thing. This was not going the way she wanted, nor was it turning out how she was hoping for. Hayato was supposed to stick with her, not reject her.

 

She cried harder as she realized she was going to be alone in this. No one would accept what she's done. She just found it upsetting that even though she wanted to bring in this new life, no one else wanted it.

Kame rolled to her side and landed a hand on her abdomen. If she was correct in her calculations, she was just two weeks away from entering her second full month; but as early as she was in the pregnancy, she could already see the tiniest bit of a bump. Though barely much of anything to look at, she still stroked her tummy and looked at it with eyes full of tenderness.

"I'll love you no matter what, baby. I want to bring you into this world despite what others think."

XXXXX

Hayato was still in shock about the news. His feet brought him to the nearest bar, where he planted himself into a bar stool and began to drink his consciousness away.

He loved Kame, but of all things to suddenly throw on him. "God, this was never supposed to happen." He swung back the tall glass of beer and finished it off in one gulp.

"Another please, bartender." Receiving yet another tall glass of the gold liquid, he continued contemplating his situation.

He got his girlfriend, who was only seventeen, pregnant. He was only twenty and could barely take care of himself; how in the world could he take responsibility for a child as well? 

The alcohol began to work on him, bringing him deeper and deeper into the thoughts and feelings he had hidden within the recesses of his mind. Ryu's face came to mind and he suddenly couldn't help but think aloud, "This never would have happened if Ryu would've stayed."

His eyes widened in surprise at that thought. Was that how he really felt about Kame; that he still really only wanted Ryu? He slumped further into his seat, confusion filling him even more.

 

It was true; if he were with Ryu, he would never be able to knock up the redhead, never get disapproving looks from peers and strangers around them. He and Ryu would just have to deal with society looking down on them for feelings they couldn’t deny. He was already used to being an outcast by society, so what concern would there really be?

 

And yet he _was_ concerned about society’s opinions about the mistake he committed.

 

He groaned. What was done, was done, and with Kame, not Ryu. He had to accept that...but that was always easier said than done.

"What the hell should I do?" He emptied his tall glass of beer once more.

 

XXXXX

 

A week had passed since Hayato received news of Kame’s pregnancy; a full week that he had avoided her since then too. He was still thinking things over…Well, that and he was still as anxious as could be and didn’t want to face her just yet.

 

It was just about time for the start of his work and so he arrived at Kuma’s restaurant half an hour before his shift. He walked in just in time to see that Yankumi was visiting Kuma again. As usual she was excitedly gushing over something and thoroughly confusing the large man. Probably going on about another crush she's made, he thought.

"It's been awhile since I've seen him. And to hear that he wants to become a teacher! I'm so proud of him! My precious students are becoming good young men."

Okay, so it wasn't about some crush of hers, but it still most likely didn't pertain to him. He approached his boss and old teacher and gave them a casual wave. "Long time, no see, Yankumi."

The older woman happily approached the young man and reached out to hug him, only to be avoided by a side step out of the way. Though looking a little hurt that her beloved student did not want to accept her embrace, she resorted instead with giving him a light punch to the arm.

"How have you been, Yabuki-san? Have you found your path yet?"

Hayato nearly forgot that he had consulted his old teacher on what he could do to determine what he should do with his life. "I'm still confused...and troubled."

The older woman's face grew concerned. "What's wrong?"

Hayato looked around uncomfortably before facing his teacher again. "Can we talk about this out back?"

Yankumi nodded and followed the young man out. She could easily see that he looked deeply bothered by whatever was on his mind; it must be very serious if he had to talk to her in private.

"I'm dating a girl..." He started out.

"Oh, that's nice, Yabuki-san!"

"She is seventeen and I got her pregnant." He cut her off.

His old teacher was silenced immediately. "You what?"

"You heard me."

Barely a second later and Hayato was slapped across the face. "What the hell was that for?!" He screamed.

"You impregnated her and she's still in high school!" Yankumi looked livid, but he understood why. The older woman sighed deeply, "Are you taking responsibility?"

"What?"

"Are you going to take care of her?! She's still in school!"

"I...I don't think so..."

Yankumi's hand met his cheek once again. "Why not?"

"Because I don't even know what I want to do with my life. How can I take care of her and this child if I'm so useless?"

"You feel that way about yourself?"

"I still don't know what my path is, and I don't want to drag her down into my problems."

"I think that's the least of your girlfriend's problems right now. You would deprive your child of a parent just because you're unsure that you'll be able to care for it and your girlfriend?"

Yankumi placed a hand gently onto Hayato's shoulder and gave him that motherly look she always gave her students. "Hayato, you should be there for your child. You of all people should know what it's like growing up without a parent. Parents are a blessing for a child, as a child is a blessing for them."

"But Kazuya...she's so young. Because of this mistake she won't be able to pursue the path she wants."

"Everyone has a path in life. The choices you make dictate where you go. But know that there are always choices available, not just one singular path that you _must_ take."

Yankumi walked away, her back facing him. He could see the strength and gentleness she exuded and found himself wanting to listen to her next words.

"Don't be afraid to take your path in life, Hayato. Be there for your girlfriend." His former teacher left him with that, and Hayato was alarmed at how similar her words were to Kame’s from just before they separated that day.

 

 _‘_ _You’re afraid to go down your path. You should trust your heart more.’_ Was he really denying his path? Certainly no path should be as confusing and difficult as his.

 

But Yankumi was right; his decisions brought him to this point in his life path. He should man up and take responsibility…but again, he was reminded that it was easier said than done.

 

XXXXX

 

It was now two weeks that Hayato had kept his distance from Kame. Despite the separation, he thought of her every day and felt his heart clench in pain from guilt. Every day he thought about driving to her house and say he’s sorry, but he never went through with it.

 

“She must think we’re over now.” He thought aloud with disappointment.

 

Hayato wouldn’t blame Kame; he rejected her and their child, and then avoided her for two weeks. He was so conflicted with his feelings over the situation. Half of him didn’t want the child, but another half did. The half that didn’t want the baby wanted Ryu too, playing with the logic that a homosexual relationship wouldn’t make a mistake like an unplanned child. But he wanted Kame; he loved her, enough that he’d _almost_ be willing to accept the child as well.

 

He thought this confusion would be over when he decided he’d forget about Ryu and choose Kame over anything, but his buried feelings for Ryu obviously didn’t disappear and found its excuse to return, to allow him his escape from the situation.

 

“Hayato, are you paying attention? Help the customer at the door!” Kuma’s yell from the kitchen snapped the man out of his reverie. Hayato tucked the towel he was using to wipe down the tables into his apron and turned to face the client standing at the entrance.

 

“How can I-” Hayato’s eyes widened as he saw the _real_ face of the man he desired for so long.

 

“R-Ryu?!”


	5. Chapter 5

“R-Ryu?!” Hayato’s eyes widened to disks as he saw the real form of his best friend walking towards him. Ryu had certainly changed over the short period he was away. Gone was the bright red hair he was so used to seeing and instead a mane of silky black was in its place cut just the slightest bit short. His stare was still the same calculating gaze, and his face was still as stoic, but it matched the seriousness of the suit he wore.

  
“Why are you so surprised to see me? Didn’t you get my message?”

 

“M-Message?”

 

“I got a new phone while in Canada, and I lost all my contacts, so I couldn’t call you directly and tell you I was returning. I asked Yankumi to tell you I was coming back.”

 

Yankumi…and suddenly Hayato remembered Yankumi’s visit two weeks prior. He recalled her excitedly going on about something, a certain someone coming to visit. Connecting the dots, he realized that certain someone was Ryu. “No…no, she did not tell me.”

 

“I suppose we’ll have to get together another time then. It seems you’re a busy with your work.”

 

Ryu was just about to turn around and walk out the door when Hayato stopped him with a hand on shoulder. “Ah, no, just wait a second. I’ll ask if I can leave early. Business has been a little slow today, so I don’t think Kuma would mind.”

 

A few minutes later and the both of them were heading out the door, Hayato leading them to the nearest bar.

 

XXXXX

 

Two weeks.

 

It had been two weeks since she had last heard from Hayato, and the separation between them wasn’t helping Kame’s already hormonally affected emotions.

 

Since that afternoon, Kame had remained quiet and forlorn, keeping to herself as much as possible. It certainly didn’t go unnoticed by her family, but they presumed it was the stress of school that was affecting her. Ueda constantly remained suspicious of her friend’s moodiness, but she wanted Kame to come out and tell her first.

 

Kame knew that her family and friends were worried for her, but she couldn’t tell them of her pregnancy just yet. As pointless as it might have seemed, she wanted to wait for Hayato to come talk to her again...But at the rate things were going, her growing waistline would give her away before she could say a word.

 

All she wanted was an ally, someone to say that her decision to keep her baby was a good choice, a _courageous_ choice.

 

“Kame-chan…” Said girl was awoken from her thoughts and looked at the owner of the voice.

 

Ueda sighed as she saw how lost her friend looked, clearly Kame wasn’t going to come out and tell her what was wrong and whatever problem was bothering was stretching on for far too long.

 

“Spit it out.”

 

“W-What?”

 

Ueda took a quick glance around the classroom, reconfirming that no one was in there with them. “I know you’re hiding something, but I know you want help. I’m your best friend, Kame, so please, ease your worries _and_ mine and just tell me what’s wrong.”

 

Kame stared at Ueda momentarily, surprised to see how concerned her best friend was for her. Her eyes turned glassy and sniffled, tears that were threatening to come out being held back only by sheer will. “You’ll hate me once I tell you.”

 

“I’ll hate you more if you don’t tell me. Honestly what could be so ba-”

 

“I’m pregnant!” Kame cut her off.

 

Ueda was silenced immediately and looked at her friend in disbelief. “You’re p-preg…” She couldn’t even squeeze the full word out of her throat.

 

In the next second, Kame felt a hand back hand her face. She held her face in shock and looked at her friend. Ueda looked livid, her fists clenched at her sides in obvious restraint. “You are an _idiot_.”

 

But suddenly Kame was being embraced, her face being pressed against her friend’s chest. “God, you must be so scared right now.” She heard Ueda whisper.

 

Kame was utterly confused. Ueda just slapped her, but now she was hugging her? “…Tat-chan?”

 

“I can’t believe this has happened to _you_ , of all people.” The tea-haired girl’s voice was soft with worry. “You knew better, Kame-chan. You’re _smarter_ than that. Why did you do it?”

 

Kame felt guilt creep in upon seeing her best friend’s concern. “I wanted to show Hayato how much I loved him…”

 

Ueda scoffed. “Hayato…I should have figured. He pushed you into this, didn’t he?”

 

The younger pulled away from her friend’s embrace and furiously shook her head. “No! I was the one who pushed him into it…It was my fault.”

 

“You convinced him? But _why_?”

 

“B-Because I didn’t want him to leave me…I didn’t want him to go to Ryu.”

 

“And so you had sex with him? Well now here’s the consequence, Kazuya!” A sigh escaped Ueda once more. Despite her initial reaction, Kame was surprised Ueda was taking this so well. “What are you going to do?”

 

“I want to keep it.”

 

“Are you sure? You’re just a high school student and a minor. How will you provide for it?”

 

“I’m positive I want to keep it. I’ll do whatever it takes, my absolute best to make sure my baby has a good upbringing.”

 

The older girl frowned. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear from Kame, but it wasn’t her decision. All she could do was support her friend. “This isn’t going to be an easy road. I don’t approve, but if this is truly what you feel, then I’ll be there for you, one-hundred percent.”

 

She pulled the younger into her arms again offering Kame the comfort she wanted. Kame’s tears finally let loose and she cried into Ueda’s shoulder, relieved to know that she at least had one person she could turn to for help.

 

XXXXX

 

Ironically, Hayato took them to the same bar he crashed at when Kame told him she was pregnant. Now he was bringing his girlfriend’s look-a-like here, and for what purpose? A get-together of two best friends is what he told himself it was, but really it was his chance to escape from reality once more.

 

After sitting the two of them at the bar counter, Hayato flagged down the bartender and ordered them two beers. They got comfortable and took a few sips of their pale ales before simultaneously leaning back in their chairs. It was just like old times, like nothing had changed at all.

 

Hayato glanced over at his old friend with a smirk. Did Ryu feel like he did in this moment? “Hey, Ryu.” Ryu’s slender brow rose up and his light brown eyes smoothly eased over to look at Hayato. “I missed you.”

 

Ryu gave him the smallest bit of a smile, but he knew the younger was happy too. Of course he was ecstatic. Ryu, his dearest friend, the one he had wanted for so long, had finally returned from Canada.

 

Perhaps this was his chance to escape his problems and correct the fact that he did not get to be with Ryu…Somehow the idea did not sound as appealing as it did before. Hayato brushed it off and addressed Ryu again.

 

“So why the visit? You’re still studying aren’t you?” Hayato asked from behind his glass.

 

“Yeah, but I’m contemplating a transfer back to Japan. So I’m mainly here to look at some colleges that will offer what I want.”

 

Transfer back here? Ryu would come back to Japan? “Y-you would come back?”

 

“Yeah, that’s not a problem, is it?”

 

‘Yes, it is,’ was what immediately popped into mind. It startled Hayato. What would the problem be? If Kame was the problem, well, she was just Ryu’s temporary replacement, wasn’t she?

 

The thought of considering Kame in such a way made his heart hurt immensely. “Uhh, no, it’s your decision after all,” Hayato forced out.

 

He grabbed his tall glass and downed the rest of his beer before calling out for another. He really need the drink. God, he was so conflicted.

 

He was in love with two people who could have passed for twins. And while he was in a close relationship with one, he was technically closer to the one who knew him longer. Now he didn’t know who he really loved.

 

Secretly Hayato glanced over at Ryu, taking in the features of his best friend and noticing the subtle changes time had brought to slender man. Ryu certainly had grown more handsome and certainly manlier than before…But looking at him, Hayato didn’t feel that same spark he used to whenever he observed the younger man.

 

‘That’s foolish,’ Hayato thought. ‘I’ve loved this guy for years. My feelings couldn’t have changed so quickly…’

When he got caught staring, Hayato coughed before returning his attention to his glass. Well, he finally had Ryu by his side again. He figured he could now confess his feelings.

 

In a sudden surge of courage, he blurted out, “Ryu, I like you.”

Hayato expected Ryu to look at him strangely, to have a fit, to react in _some_ way, but it never came. Ryu just took a sip from his glass before eyeing Hayato. “I’ve...known. For quite some time now too.”

  
He knew? “If you’ve known, then do you feel the same? Can’t we be together?”

“I felt the same...”

“Then what’s the problem?” If Ryu liked him too, then what other reason would they have to not be together?

“You’re a little _late_ , Hayato. I _did_ like you. I was waiting, but you never said a thing. And so I went along with my father’s wishes and went to Canada to clear my head and start anew.” Ryu chugged back the rest of the beer in his bottle before looking Hayato in the eyes once more.

“Besides, you have changed since I’ve been gone; I can tell. You seem...happier. Whatever has happened, it seems it’s helped you find new purpose.”

He looked happy? Well that’s because he was dating Kame. He had known that moments with her made him happier than he’s been in a long time, and while he didn’t want to exchange it for anything, he didn’t want to accept their mistake.

Hayato sighed and decided to come out and tell Ryu the truth. “I probably look happy because I’m dating a girl…and she looks exactly like you.”

“Well that’s odd and...creepy. You’re dating her because she looks like me? That’s a little unfair to her, don’t you think?”

“She knows…and yet she still loves me. Her name is Kamenashi Kazuya and she’s seventeen.”

Once again, Ryu’s slender brow arose. “You’re dating a seventeen year-old?”

“Age doesn’t matter.”

“But she’s in high school.”

“It’s only been two years since we’ve been in it. It hasn’t been that long. I’m not _that_ much older than her.”

“Hayato, have you even thought about how this might look to others?”

“No, and I don’t care what others think. Since when did you start caring?”

Ryu couldn’t answer Hayato’s question and instead began to glare lightly at the larger man. When he finally looked away, it was to take another swig of his beer. Hayato followed suit and let the now tepid beer flow over his tongue.

Hayato was curious though; when did Ryu start being so conscious of what others thought? In High School, they both didn’t care and it fueled their delinquent attitude. If they were even the slightest bit concerned about the thoughts of others, they wouldn’t have done more than half of the bad things they did. ‘And maybe then I wouldn’t be half as useless as I am now.’

“It’s because I realized peoples’ impressions influence what you do and think.” He heard Ryu’s bottle clink as it hit the bar counter and looked over to see the younger man staring solemnly at the half empty beer. “My father convinced me to go to Canada, to pursue being a teacher...Why? So I can look decently respectable for the family, so I can finally make my father proud and shut him up.”

Hayato scoffed. “You’re a fool then. You shouldn’t let others influence you into doing something you don’t want. You should choose your own path. Don’t let them make you think otherwise.”

The words he had just told his best friend sank in his own mind and his eyes widened in realization. He should heed his own words. He was letting what others thought about him, hold him back. He believed others saw him as stupid, as nothing but a punk. Now he’d even gone as far as knocking up a high school student and was running away from his responsibility, his _path_.

 

He couldn’t deny that he really wanted to be with Kame, he really loved her after all, but while his mind was starting to make a conclusion, Hayato wanted to make sure his heart did too. He needed to make sure this is what he really wanted.

 

Hayato briefly glanced over at his old friend before his eyes landed on the smooth, pink lips of Ryu. “Hey, Ryu,” he called out.

The younger man turned his head to look at him and Hayato pounced, landing his lips on top of Ryu’s is a hasty, deep kiss. He ended it quickly, but it was enough to tell him what he needed.

Hayato stood up and pulled away, briefly thinking about the kiss before saying, “I have to run now. Sorry about the kiss! I’ll see you around.”

As he ran away from Ryu, only one thing went through his mind: Kame. When he kissed Ryu, he thought he might feel a spark or even the slightest palpitation of his heart, but there was nothing. Hayato, who was one to always try and follow his heart, did not feel any meaning in the kiss. The kiss proved to him who he really loved.

Whenever he kissed Kame, he would feel tingles from his fingertips to his toes. Excitement and love filled each kiss they shared. That was love, and he loved Kazuya.

 

Regardless of the mistake they made, regardless of what he once felt for Ryu, he wanted to be with Kame. Ryu wasn’t enough for him anymore.

He called Kame and told her he’d be stopping by her workplace to pick her up afterwards. It was time to step up and fix things between them, to take responsibility, to accept his _path_. __

He wanted to tell Kame that he truly, and only, loved her.


	6. Chapter 6

His _intention_ was to call up Kame and tell her he’d be stopping by her workplace to pick her up afterwards...but she never picked up the phone. He tried calling her again and again as he hurriedly headed towards her workplace, but he couldn't get through no matter what.

 

"Where is she?" He looked at his phone desperately for the tenth time, hearing the phone mockingly tell him that she's not available.

 

He finally arrived at the bookstore and entered, immediately walking through the aisles to see if Kame was there. Still, she was nowhere to be found.

 

Approaching the manager, Hayato grabbed him on the shoulder to gain his attention. "Hey, where is Kamenashi? Did she not come in to work today?"

 

The manager recognized him as being Kame's boyfriend and saw how confused the young man looked. "She hasn't been feeling too well recently, so I let her get off early, probably about an hour or so ago. She didn't tell you?" Hayato bit his lip; how could he have known? He hadn't spoken with Kame in two weeks.

 

"She's with her friend, that light brown haired girl." He gave a quick bow as thanks to the manager before running out of the store.

 

If it's only been an hour since Kame had left and Ueda was with her, Hayato knew they wouldn't have headed to Kame's house, they would be in the park. It was one of the few places Kame could relax; not even home was much of a comfort for her.

 

He headed across the street and into the park, running straight for the fountain, Kame's favorite spot. She had to be there, he just knew it.

 

"There she is."

 

XXXXX

 

Ueda picked up her best friend an hour ago upon receiving a call from her boss. He wasn't lying, Kame didn't look too well when she arrived. 'She looks so tired...I don't know why she even bothers going to work anymore, not while in her...condition.'

 

The tea-haired girl took them to the fountain in the park, knowing Kame would enjoy the fresh air and not having to worry about her condition and hiding it from her family. She sat them at the edge of the fountain, letting the cool mist from the fountain refreshingly spray over them.

 

Ueda stretched her arms above her head and let out a relaxed sigh. "Ah~ That feels really refreshing, ne Kame-chan?"

 

"Un, especially in this heat," The younger girl commented. She sat with her legs gently crossed and her hands resting lightly against her barely apparent bump. She was lucky she wasn't showing much, especially at ten weeks of pregnancy. But time would definitely change that, and Kame could only hope she'd be ready to take on the criticism from everyone when the time came.

 

At least she had her best friend. "Tat-chan," she looked at her friend with a smile. "Thank you for being my best friend."

 

"That's what friends are for, dear." Her reassuring smile made Kame feel happier than she's been in a while.

 

"It's good that the world is not totally against me," Kame whispered to herself as she looked down at her small bump. She stroked it affectionately, filled with love for the child she was carrying.

 

Ueda looked up at the moment she heard footsteps running towards them. "You may have spoken too soon, Kame-chan," she replied as she recognized the form of the person heading their way. Hayato had appeared.

 

"What? What are you-" She gasped as her boyfriend came into view.

 

Kame watched as her feisty friend bolted up from the fountain ledge and made a beeline towards Hayato, rage written all over her face. As soon as she was in front of him, her fist reached out and met his left cheek, roughly jerking the man's face to the side and making impact with his nose. "You fucker." Her voice was laced with malice and her eyes were dark with danger.

 

"Shit," Hayato swore. He felt blood slowly begin to make its way down his nose, surprising him that the thin girl in front of her was able to strike him so strongly. He looked at the girl again and saw her rearing up for another punch. Just when he thought he was about to be hit again, he heard Kame scream for her to stop.

 

His head immediately snapped up, watching the woman he loved run towards him and stop her friend. "Just stop," she pleaded to Ueda.

 

"Why the fuck should I? After what he did to you, Kame, he doesn't deserve a break! _And_ he's rejected you! I have more than enough reason to kick his ass, so let me do it!"

 

Kame peeked at Hayato as she reasoned, "But he's finally come to talk, and that has to count for something."

 

Ueda grimaced deeply at the younger girl. "Fine, do what you want, but you're too easy on him, Kame-chan. He needs to learn his lesson." Before she walked away, she glared at Hayato, sending him the message that she wouldn't hesitate to beat him up if he hurt Kame again.

 

Finally alone, Kame and Hayato shyly stared each other down, unsure of how to start up their inevitable conversation. She was busy biting her lip and he was busy shuffling his feet. It was as awkward as when they first met.

 

"Hayato..." Kame started off quietly. Said man looked to the woman in front of him and frowned upon seeing the disappointment in her eyes. She bit her lip once more and suddenly she slapped him.

 

Once again, Hayato was taken aback, but he knew he deserved it from Kame. "Why are you here now?"

 

The younger woman's question confused him. "Don't you want me here?"

 

"I do! But I'm not going to _force_ you into this! I don't want you here out of pity; I want you here out of _love_." Her light brown eyes started to fog over from the rush of emotions flowing through her.

 

"What if I said I was?" That shocked her. She looked at him confusedly, waiting for him to explain.

 

Hayato ran a hand through his long hair and sighed. "You know, Ryu came back from Canada today." He saw Kame frown and quickly continued. "He helped me clarify some things."

 

"I told him I loved him, and though he once loved me, he turned me down. He told me I looked different, said I looked happy; and I knew it was because of you, 'cause I do love you. But the problem I was facing then was knowing _how much_ I loved you. Did I love you enough to want the baby too? Even though Ryu rejected me, I still could have taken the easy road out; let society guide my conscience and leave you.

 

And then I remembered, when I was younger, I never cared what others thought about me. I did what I want because I wanted it, not because that's what others expected of me. So why should it matter what society thinks about me knocking you up and you being a mom?"

 

Hayato moved closer to Kame, hesitatingly bringing a hand up to cup her smooth cheek. "I realized it didn't matter, and that the only thing that does, baby, is _you_. I realized that I _do_ love you, way more than I love Ryu!"

 

His fingers stroked down her cheek before he dropped both hands, sliding one of them right over her raised tummy. "I love you...And I will love our child too."

 

Kame had felt tears filling her eyes near the middle of Hayato's speech, but by the end they were free flowing. She sniffled and hiccupped when they started to flow out even more. This was _exactly_ what she wanted to hear.

 

Hayato enfolded her in his embrace, burying her face into his neck and his own into her hair. Only two weeks apart and he sorely missed this; holding this strong woman in his arms. He kissed the top of her head over and over while he rubbed her back in a soothing motion.

 

After a few minutes of calming down, Kame finally looked up at her boyfriend and croaked out, "You're really going to take responsibility now?"

 

"All the way, luv."

 

Kame's arms flew around Hayato's neck and she brought them into an embrace once more. They stayed in each others' arms for a long while, both of them enjoying the long missed presence of the other.

 

When they finally broke apart, she leaned her head against Hayato's shoulder. "You know, maybe Tat-chan is right. I should have been a little harsher."

 

He pouted. "But I repented and am taking on full responsibility..."

 

"Then prove it to me," she smirked.

 

Hayato raised a mischievous eyebrow before cupping his mouth and yelling out, "I'm going to be a father soon!"

 

Her mouth dropped and she immediately ducked behind him, slapping Hayato on the arms as she did so. "What the hell are you doing? Don't say that so loud! Someone might recognize me..."

 

The long haired man turned around and trapped Kame in his arms again. "You wanted proof, I gave it to you."

 

He looked Kame straight in the eyes, "I'm serious, Kazuya. I love you, and I love our baby too. Whatever comes our way now, we'll face it...Together."

 

She gave him that bright smile that he had missed and he returned the gesture with a strong kiss to her lips.

 

This kiss. Electricity flowed through every part of him when their lips touched. And he knew it was right, knew that being with Kame was right.

 

XXXXX

 

"I can't believe you forgave him just like that!" Ueda groaned as she watched the two interact with each other at the other side of the table.

 

Hayato idly sipped from a cup of coffee. "I've opened my eyes, _Ue-chan_ , so stop worrying!"

 

"Don't talk to me, bastard," she scoffed.

 

Kame pouted. "Just be happy for us, please, Tat-chan?"

 

"How can I be when I _can't_ trust him? How do you know he's not going to leave right after the baby is here? He might be fine now, but you'll never know about afterwards!"

 

Hayato was tired of hearing Ueda's accusations and beliefs that he would leave Kame. "I'll marry her if that's what it will take for you to believe me."

 

Both girls looked at him surprised. "...Seriously?" The older girl blurted out.

 

Hayato sighed and looked at his young girlfriend. "Kazu, you deserve more than anything I can give you, but I will do everything I can to make you happy."

 

Ueda grunted. "Oh, not this sappy bullshit again." She finished off her plastic cup of an over-complicated coffee drink before pinning the couple with a glare. "You may say you'll do everything you can to make her happy, Yabuki, but when it comes to facing society, facing _her parents_ , think you'll be able to? You're going to have to deal with all of them! And you think _I'm_ bad!"

 

Hayato and Kame looked at each other worriedly. Admittedly Ueda was right, they were going to have to deal with what people thought about their situation for many years to come. And while society was bigger, they were easier to ignore; it was Kame's parents they had to deal with next.

 

"You're catching on now. Hayato, you just knocked up their daughter. You may ask them about marrying Kame-chan, but you've got to prove to them somehow that you're worthy of her and absolutely serious about her."

 

Ueda's face turned grave. "Both of you have to prepare for any sort of response from her parents if you intend on overcoming them and still being together, and I mean anything, even having Kame-chan be forced into an _abortion_."


	7. Chapter 7

Ueda's warning left a large impact on the both of them that late afternoon. Just as they managed to get over one large obstacle, they were soon going to run into another. Kame and Hayato knew they would have to face her parents, but they both knew there was less than a fifty percent chance they would take kindly to the news. At least, that's how stuff like this always seemed to work out.

 

After their talk with Ueda, Hayato walked Kame home, wanting the alone time with his girlfriend. He made sure to have her molded to his side the whole time, keeping an arm securely around her waist. While they did make up, he still felt bad for wanting to leave her; he really wanted his girlfriend to know that he was serious about them.

 

As they were walking, enjoying the other's presence in silence, Hayato noticed where his hand landed while he held Kame's waist. It rested directly over her belly, which he further noted felt the slightest bit bigger, at least bigger than the last time they'd made love to each other.

 

The young man stopped the both of them from walking any further to look down at his beautiful, and slightly confused, girlfriend. "Kazu, babe, how far along are you now?"

 

Kame looked surprise, but she answered him after doing the math in her head, "Mm, probably eight or nine weeks now. Why?"

 

Hayato gave a small grin and ran his hand across her tummy, once again feeling the bump that was there. "Just felt the bump, is all. Still a little unbelievable that this is all happening, but feeling it made it all the more real, and I'm okay with that."

 

Kame blushed prettily and ended up running her hands along her stomach as well, landing them on top of Hayato's once they were nearby. "You think you're still dazed about this, _I'm_ the one carrying it! All of these changes are going to be happening to me!" She gave Hayato a gentle smile as she entwined her hands with his again. "But I'm okay with that too, because you'll be with me."

 

Hayato brought one of her hands up to kiss it to his agreement before continuing to walk Kame home.

 

XXXXX

 

The young couple decided to tell her parents of the situation the soonest they all could meet, putting D-day on a Saturday a little less than a week after Kame and Hayato had made up. Talk about soon.

 

When Saturday rolled around, Kame anxiously waited for Hayato's arrival, switching back and forth between looking out her bedroom window to see him rolling up and sitting on her bed, wringing her hands and licking her lips.

 

She finally heard his bike engine roar to a stop in front of her house and she bolted from the room, hurrying to the door so she could answer it before any other family could. She opened the front door just in time to see Hayato about to ring the bell.

 

"I heard you arrive," she responded out of breath. "Hurry inside and sit down. I'll grab my family..."

 

Her boyfriend nodded and walked himself to her family's living room, sitting himself stiffly in a loveseat. Hayato curiously looked around the room, impressed by the nice decor. He always picked up and dropped off Kame at her house, but he had never once stepped inside. He knew she was rather well off, he just didn't know _how_ well.

 

Kame came back quickly, plopping next to Hayato with the most apprehensive expression on her face. She was obviously nervous about this.

 

"Babe, stop biting your lips, otherwise there will be nothing left for me to kiss." He grinned as he took her hand in his, trying to ease her anxiety as best as he could.

She was appreciative, but she could tell Hayato was also scared, if his fidgety leg was anything to go by, and she couldn't blame him.

Kame could only fear for the worst. She knew her parents would explode in anger; they would insult her decision and demand she take a different road, she just knew it. But she didn't want that, she wanted this baby with Hayato. And she would do anything to make sure that happened.

"So, you wanted to tell us something?" Kame's father asked as he sat down in the reclining chair across from them.

She saw her brothers and mother enter the room as well, placing themselves where they could throughout the room. The whole family was here to hear the news.

Taking a deep breath and giving Hayato's hand a strong squeeze, she finally spoke, "As you may have guessed, this is my boyfriend, Hayato. I've been dating him for about three months now."

She could feel the calculating stares of her family on her boyfriend, knowing he was being scrutinized for his looks. Certainly Hayato was not the most refined looking man out there but she still loved him just the same. She said as much to her family. "I love him very much, and so-"

"I was hoping to ask for her hand in marriage," Hayato cut her off.

Immediate silence followed the request creating a tense atmosphere that made Kame nervous. Her father's face was serious and he hadn't backed his gaze down from Hayato.

"Why?" was her father's only question.

 

This was it. Kame and Hayato looked at each other one more time before looking her father straight in the eyes. "Papa...I'm pregnant."

 

She heard her mother gasp and saw her father's demeanor stiffen up. His brow was furrowing with an undeniable anger, and she knew she and Hayato would not get out of this as easily as they hoped.

 

"This isn't a joke?" Kame's mother mumbled disbelievingly.

 

"No ma'am, it's not. I've gotten your daughter pregnant." Hayato saw Mrs. Kamenashi begin to cry and began to feel bad. This obviously wasn't light news to take, but he just hoped they would understand his desire for responsibility.

 

"We've made a mistake, Papa, but we want to take responsibility for it. I want to have this baby and raise it."

 

Without missing a beat, Mr. Kamenashi interjected. "You will _not_ have this baby! You're still in school and you're still a minor!"

 

"But Papa, I want this! I'm sure I can do it!"

 

"I don't care if you _can_ , you _aren't_! You're not having this ruffian's baby!"

 

Hayato immediately cut in, "But while she's in school I can still provide for her and the child! I am working, sir! I'm serious about marrying her. I want to be there for her _and_ the baby." He tried to sound as convincing as possible, but it seemed all of the family members were set in their minds.

 

"Well, that's unfortunate because I'm not allowing it."

 

"Papa, I'm old enough to get married!" Kame argued back. This was not going the way they wanted it at all.

 

"Yes, but only with parental consent, and you _don't have it_. I don't know why you're so eager to marry this rough-looking man." He piercingly glared at Hayato. "You probably forced her into this too, didn't you boy?"

 

At the accusation, Hayato angrily frowned and immediately denied it. "I did no such thing! I always try to respect Kazuya's decisions, and having sex was a decision we both made out of love!"

 

"I don't know you well enough to believe you, and so far you're clearly not to be trusted. I suggest you leave my daughter alone and never see her again. And don't worry about the baby, there won't be any for you to worry about once you leave."

 

Kame's eyes widened when she heard that. They were going to force her into an abortion? Ueda was right then! "No! No, I'm not having an abortion! You're not going to make me!"

 

"Kazuya, honey, listen to yourself!" Mrs. Kamenashi managed to squeeze out through her tears. "You want to do things that you're too young for! Especially when you have so much more in store for you, so many opportunities! Having this baby will ruin all you've done so far."

 

"And having me come this far has made me realize that I do have the ability to take care of this child! This _is_ an opportunity for me! Being a mother and taking care of this child is what my future has in store for me."

 

Mr. Kamenashi had heard enough and snapped. "I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO MARRY THIS BOY, AND I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO HAVE THIS BABY!"

 

Hayato could no longer stand the argument as well and furiously rose out of his seat. "Kazuya _will_ have my baby, and I _will_ have both of them, whether we have your blessing or not!"

 

Mr. Kamenashi stood up as well to face Hayato at full height. "You really think you'll be able to take my daughter away?"

 

"Yes I do." Without breaking his glare from Mr. Kamenashi, Hayato called out to Kame. "Kazu, pack up any essentials right now. We're leaving." Kame was alarmed but nodded and shoved her way past her shocked brothers to head to her bedroom.

 

Their stare down intensified and it didn't break down until Kame reappeared in the room. "Haya...I'm ready."

 

"I love your daughter very much, sir, and while you may think I'll just leave your daughter, I've already made my decision to stay by her side no matter what. I had been lost on what to do with my life for a while, but she helped me choose my path. And while this is a path less traveled, Kazuya and I will go down it, _together_."

 

Hayato finally pulled away from Mr. Kamenashi to grab Kame's hand and hustle them to the door. Just as he opened the front door and was about to go through it, Mr. Kamenashi called out to them once more.

 

"Kazuya, you take one more step out of this house and you're no longer my daughter."

 

She looked at her family sadly one last time before saying, "I'm sorry, but I want this." And Hayato pulled them outside.

 

He wasted no time in driving him back to his home, still raging about how the conversation went with Kame's family. While he was upset at them, he was sad for Kame. She just lost her family because of the decision she made to be with him and keep their baby.

 

As soon as they were in his room, Hayato engulfed his girlfriend in a hug, feeling that she needed the comfort. And he was right, because as soon as she landed against his chest, she began to cry, the event finally catching up to her.

 

She tried to prepare for the worst, the worst not being abortion because she wouldn't have allowed it, but being disowned by her parents and left without a home...She didn't want to leave her family, but she wasn't going to kill her baby. She had to leave them, it was the only choice. As much as she hoped for her parents to accept the baby and welcome it as new family, unfortunately she would just have to make a new family with Hayato.

 

"I'm so sorry, Kazuya," he whispered into her hair. He gently rubbed her back as she continued to sob into his chest. "I selfishly took you away from your family, but that's how much I wanted to be with you! That's how much I love you."

 

"I-It's...o-okay," she hiccupped. "We- We're in this...together."

 

Kame cried herself to sleep in Hayato's arms, the stress from delivering such heavy news exhausting her completely. He laid the both of them on his bed and tucked her closer to him, allowing the both of them to fall asleep for the afternoon.

 

XXXXX

 

Hayato woke up a few hours later upon noticing the lack of body heat next to him. When he felt that the Kame's spot on the bed was empty, he quickly sat up and scanned around the room for her. Not finding her within his room, he scooted out of bed and left to find her.

 

He didn't have very far to go though upon hearing her heaving in the bathroom. He opened the door and found Kame hunched over the toilet, holding onto it for leverage. As he remembered doing the first time he saw Kame chuck up in the bowl, he held her hair back and soothingly rubbed her back. At least now he knew why she was feeling so sick now.

 

After flushing the toilet, she thanked him through her panting and sat back on her haunches. "Definitely, won't miss the nausea once I'm done with this pregnancy."

 

Hayato helped her up carefully and let her wash her mouth and hands before leading them to the kitchen for an early dinner. He cooked them up some ramen, recipe courtesy of Kuma's, and filled up a nice big bowl for the both of them.

 

"Eat up, luv. You need the energy for you and the baby." Kame couldn't hide her surprise over how caring Hayato was being to her and their baby, but she certainly didn't mind it. This was good; this was how things should be... _will be_ now that she was staying with Hayato.

 

"Thank you...Haya."


	8. Chapter 8

A week had passed since Kame had left her family for the sake of her love for Hayato and her baby, and the young couple was happy to say that things were going far easier than it had been as of late.

 

The night Kame came to stay with him, he told his father about what had happened. His father was not very thrilled, but he was not against their decision. After scolding Hayato for not thinking his action through properly before enacting them, he praised the young man for accepting his path and taking responsibility. And just like that, Kame was welcomed into the Yabuki family.

 

Since she had been staying with Hayato, she slept in his bed...while he slept on his bedroom floor. It was the only thing Hayato's father disapproved of them doing; sleeping together. Hayato couldn't understand why.

 

"You intend on marrying her eventually, correct?" Hayato's father received a strong nod from his son. "Then you should learn respect and patience, and wait until you're married before you continue such... _relations_."

 

Not able to argue the point any further, Hayato moped around the house accepting his dad's order. Kame comforted him with a tight hug and a long kiss and everything was fine again, for the most part. Hayato contented himself with having his girlfriend's presence around his home, cooking and sharing meals with the woman he loved, watching her as she rested, waking up to her beautiful face. He never thought he'd feel this way.

 

Today was Sunday and Hayato woke up to bright brown eyes staring straight at him. He would have jumped out of his bed if he didn't immediately recognize that it was Kame. She was lying on her side in front of him, smiling at the surprised look on his face. "Morning, Haya," her hand reached out and pushed some hairs away from his face.

 

"What are you doing lying on my futon?"

 

"Well, for once _I_ wanted to be the one to watch you sleep for a bit."

 

She knew he occasionally watched her? Hayato blushed. "My old man said we shouldn't be lying with each other..."

 

"Only so that we don't get intimate. And I'm not doing anything that might start something, am I?"

 

Hayato ended up smirking before he reached a hand out to cup her chin and stroke her lips with his thumb. "Babe, you don't even have to try and I'd want you." He leaned in and captured her lips, massaging them with his own plush ones.

 

Hayato rolled on top of her but was careful not to put pressure on her abdomen for fear of the baby. He continued to kiss her, feeling lust and desire begin to fill him as he massaged her hips, and Kame was doing nothing to stop him. The simultaneous touches and kisses were starting to produce small gasps and mewls from the woman beneath him, spurring him on to continue.

 

Her shirt lifted up to reveal her bare breasts, not enclosed in a lacy bra as he expected. He briefly raised a brow at this but was soon distracted by their delicious view to care to ask. He licked and gently nibbled at Kame's nubs, stimulating them until they were hard pebbles within his mouth. It was then that he started to suckle on them, turning her gasps into moans.

 

"H-Haya...It's been- been so long...Can we? ...Please?"

 

Just as he was about to comply with her wishes, a loud knock on the door interrupted them from going any further. "Hey, bro, I'm going off to school now for some early studying. Kame-nee doesn't need to make me breakfast," came Taku's voice.

 

The young couple was slightly breathless, but Hayato managed to sound normal as he responded back, appeasing his brother enough to make him leave. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm still up for a quickie."

 

Kame giggled but she lightly pushed Hayato away. "Your brother kind of killed the mood for me, unfortunately. But maybe later?" She ended her proposition with a sultry look that Hayato dumbly agreed with.

 

Both slipped off of the bed and properly rearranged their clothes before leaving the room and preparing for the day ahead. They shared breakfast and a light conversation together before using the bathroom together, aiming to save time by doing so.

 

Hayato was much faster in cleaning himself up, simply brushing his teeth and combing out his morning hair before he was ready. Kame was much slower, doing her hair and makeup, and everything to make sure she didn't look suspiciously pregnant.

 

The young man decided to wait in the bathroom with his girlfriend and observe her as she got ready, occasionally distracting her with comments that she could only blush at. Little moments like these made his whole face brighten in a smile as he imagined that this was what their married life would be like.

 

Upon briefly glancing at her uniform-covered-abdomen and seeing the slightest bit of a bump, he curiously asked Kame, "What are you going to do about school? They're eventually going to find out that you're pregnant."

 

She paused midway through clipping up her hair to stare at him through the mirror. She hadn't thought about that just yet, in all honesty. "My only hope is that they'll let me continue going to school. But if not, I honestly don't know..."

 

Hayato pulled himself away from the wall he was leaned against to come up behind his lover and embrace her. He buried his face into Kame's hair before sliding lower to her neck. His lips briefly grazed over her pulse point until his chin lazily rested on her shoulder. Are you going to tell them though? Sooner rather than later, I mean."

 

"Why, are you going to come with me if I do?"

 

"Sure if that's what you want."

 

Kame covered the arms that were around her with her own. "It would certainly help if you were there."

 

"Then I'm there." Her boyfriend gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before carefully letting her out of his arms and giving her bum a light slap. "Okay, time for school. Let's get going, babe."

 

"You are so frisky in the morning." She teased.

 

"It's because I can't get enough of you." Unable to resist, he pulled her into a front embrace where her small bump was lightly pressing against his flat stomach. He smiled as he felt the slight roundness of it, knowing it was his child in there.

 

"I love you, Kazuya."

 

Kame smiled sweetly and pecked him on the cheek. "I love you too, Haya."

 

They were soon out the door, heading for Kame's school on Hayato's motorcycle, a routine that they came to enjoy. She loved wrapping her arms around Hayato's waist as they zoomed through the streets; it made her feel so close to him, and not just literally.

 

"Here we are, babe." Hayato grinned as he took back Kame's helmet. He gave her one last peck on her cheek to send her off before watching her catch up with Ueda, who was out front waiting.

 

Things were pretty perfect right now, but as he had been noticing as of late, it was only the calm of the storm, and he was sure something else bad and stressing was soon to come. He just hoped it wouldn't wedge Kame and he apart again.

 

Hayato put his helmet back on before driving away, heading to his workplace to support his growing family.

 

XXXXX

 

Kame barely entered her classroom before she was pulled right out by Ueda, suddenly being dragged off to the bathroom. Clearly her best friend wanted to talk to her.

 

When they entered the girl's room and Ueda made sure no one else was present, she eyed her friend seriously. "You know, every day you get more and more obvious." As vague as the statement was, Kame knew exactly what she meant.

 

She consciously held her stomach and bit her lip; Ueda was so right. Being almost three full months along, she would have been very lucky to have not been noticeable at all, but she wasn't exactly chubby, so any weight gain would look obvious, and that exactly what was happening now.

 

Ueda sighed and helped her pregnant friend adjust her blazer to properly cover her minor pregnant bump. "So how has living with Hayato been?" Ueda's question took Kame slightly off guard, but she knew her friend was genuinely concerned and curious.

 

"He's great. And his father and brother accept me and the situation. I actually think they're happy to have a woman in the household again."

 

"Hmm, good to hear then. Your parents disowned you, so if Hayato ever suddenly went back on his word and left you again, I'd kill him."

 

"Tat-chan...Hayato won't do that. I'm glad you're worried, but I swear we're fine."

 

"Despite that, my home's always open for you, okay? Don't forget it!"

 

Kame couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Like I could forget when you're always reminding me."

 

"A nagging friend is a good friend...And that suddenly reminds me, are you going to tell the school?"

 

"Are you and Hayato on the same wave length of thinking or something? He asked me that too..." She walked over to the large, full length mirror in the bathroom and stared at her reflection, eyes momentarily drifting over her stomach. "I told him sooner rather than later, but I don't know _how_ soon. I'll be reaching three months in just another week, and I'm sure it will really become obvious weeks after that, but I don't think I'm ready to tell them just yet."

 

"Kame..."

 

"Yes, yes, I know. I will tell them, of course...But I want to wait just a bit first. A lot has happened and I need the time to mentally recover."

 

"I understand." The older girl walked up to her friend and slung an arm around her shoulder. "So, three months? Have you visited the doctor yet?" Kame perked up; she didn't think about that at all and Ueda caught on right away.

 

"Figures...Since I'm assuming you want to keep this low-profile, you're going to need a doctor who will respect your privacy. I've got just the person. I'll call them and set something up, okay?"

 

She smiled graciously, "Tat-chan, honestly, you're _way_ too awesome a friend."

 

"I know."

 

They both headed for the exit of the bathroom and back to the classroom. The day was just beginning and Kame knew she had a lot to face.

 

XXXXX

 

Just as Ueda had said, she called up her friend to set up an appointment for Kame. “Dr. Kimura is his name. He’s really friendly; you’ll like him.”

 

The appointment was right after school and she called Hayato to inform him. Of course, he promised he’d be there to pick her up and take her; his dedication to her made her smile. She was nervous to know about the status of the pregnancy, but Hayato being there made everything better.

 

“Ready to go, babe?” Hayato asked as he handed her a bike helmet.

 

She winked. “I’m always ready to go with you.”

 

The ride to the private hospital was not far; Dr. Kimura’s office was mainly a house rebuilt to accommodate obstetric practices. It made for a comfortable atmosphere and helped easy Kame’s building nerves.

 

There were a few other women in the building, their spouses right beside them, holding hands or touching swollen tummies. Kame thought it was sweet and leaned into Hayato, who immediately indulged her with an arm around her shoulders. She may have been younger than all of the women in the room, but she certainly didn’t feel any less loved. She had a wonderful boyfriend and knew things would be okay between them—they made it so far, didn’t they?

 

“Kamenashi Kazuya-san?” She heard her name called and rose along with Hayato to follow the nurse.

 

A quick check on her height, weight, and blood pressure, as well as making sure she wasn’t a smoker or drinker, she was brought to a small, private room to finish waiting for Dr. Kimura. Hayato sat on the seat next to her bed and looked curiously around the room at the informative poster and even more curious medical instruments.

 

A knock landed on the door and a smiling man entered the room. He approached the young couple and shook their hands. “I’m Dr. Kimura, and you must be Tatsuya’s friend. Are you ready for your first check up?”

 

Kame smiled shyly, “I’m a little bit nervous…”

 

“And you have every right to be, Kamenashi-san,” Kimura said as he pulled up a chair. “This is a big moment in your life! You’re making a _new_ one! Your body will be going through several changes to accommodate the new life you’ve created. And I suppose not just your body…your life is going to change dramatically too.”

 

Kimura eyed Hayato and Kame with sympathy; they were both so young. “A baby is not a doll; you can’t return it when you’ve grown tired of it. He or she will need all the love and care two parents can give to grow up well. Your life, once he or she is here, is no longer yours. Do you understand that?”

 

Both Kame and Hayato nodded furiously. “We’ve already decided we’re in this together and that our child shouldn’t suffer for our mistakes.” Hayato’s hand slipped into Kame’s and his serious look reassured Dr. Kimura.

 

“Good, good. Well, I’m sure you’ve been dying to see your baby!” He rolled over to the ultrasound computer set up and pulled it to Kame’s bedside. “If you would kindly lift your shirt—just to below your breasts would be fine. I’m going to put this gel on your tummy and it will be a little cold.”

 

The computer turned on and Dr. Kimura squeezed some of the blue gel onto her torso. He began to spread it out with the receiver, at the same time looking for her womb to spot the baby. When he found it, he immediately turned on switch that allowed the audio to flood into the room. It was a warbled noise, filled with fast beats and some watery sounds; the young couple looked confused.

 

Dr. Kimura pointed to the screen and circled an area on the confusing grayish image. “Your baby is right here. And what you’re hearing is its heartbeat.”

 

Both of their eyes widened as they stared into the monitor; Kame began to tear without a doubt, overwhelmed at seeing the baby growing within her. She clutched tighter to Hayato’s hand and he returned the pressure, feeling just as surprised as she.

 

“Based on how big the fetus is, it looks like you’re about eleven to twelve weeks along. Everything looks right as rain as far as development goes. In another month or so, we might be able to tell its gender.”

 

Dr. Kimura took a few screenshots of the uterus and printed them out for Hayato and Kame, knowing that this first look at their baby meant a lot to the both of them. New parents were always amazed when they saw and heard their child, and he knew that this couple, no matter how young, would be the same.

 

The doctor wiped the gel off of Kame’s stomach and let her pull her shirt back down before speaking once more. “I’m not sure what your diet at home is like, so just in case I’m going to prescribe some prenatal vitamins. But you’re quite healthy, Kamenashi-san, and that will greatly help this pregnancy in the long run. I’m not expecting any complications as you’ve already rather grown into your adult body; expect gaining some weight in your hips though.”

 

He grinned to the both of them and stood up. “If you can accept those changes, then we’re good and I’ll see you in another few weeks.” Kimura held his hand out for Hayato and Kame to shake before handing them the ultrasound photos.

 

“Congratulations, you two,” he said before stepping out of the office.

 

Kame clutched at the photos with the brightest smile on her face. “Hayato, it’s our baby,” she whispered.

 

“Finally he or she has really made it reality for me. We’re actually going through with this.” He engulfed Kame in a hug, his hands going down her sides to rub at the sides of her slightly bump.

 

“Thank you for this.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for leaving you guys hanging for so many months! I hope you guys haven't forgotten this story!!
> 
> I have some very important news, so please read the notes at the end!!

They finally got a chance to see their child—hear its heartbeats and see its small shape. The moment was truly powerful, and both of them had a new perspective on the pregnancy.

 

This was a life _they_ made. A piece of both of them melded into one.

 

They told Ueda the news over the phone and she responded in kind, happy for them and their excitement over the baby. "Did he tell you the gender?"

 

Kame's laugh was bubbly. "No~ It's too early for that. Maybe another month or two and we'll know though. Honestly, Tat-chan, I'm even more sure that I want to have this baby. Seeing that little life in me...It was moving."

 

"I'm glad you had such a touching experience. You deserve the happiness, wherever you can get it. Tough times are coming for you and this baby, Kazuya, and I just hope you'll remain strong through it."

 

"Yes...I know. I'll be telling the school tomorrow. I'm still not so sure that I'm ready to tell them, but Hayato will be with me, and I know you'll be cheering me on as well."

 

After sharing goodbyes over the phone, Kame entered her and Hayato's room to see her boyfriend sprawled along his bed. She smiled at his lazy position and proceeded to make her way over to him to lay beside him.

 

As soon as she was by her boyfriend, his arm instinctively came around her waist, hand resting atop her bump, pulling her close to him to sleep. It didn't take long before Kame was asleep next to Hayato, dreaming of the future and babies.

 

XXXXX

 

The next morning arrived and Kame arrived early at her high school, Hayato following closely behind her. Today was the day she would inform the school of her mistake and hope that they would let her continue her schooling. She knew she wouldn't be able to tell them alone, so Hayato's presence was much appreciated, giving her the courage to do this.

 

It didn't take her long to reach the teachers' office. Thankfully the school was quite empty; she didn't need a bunch of gossip running around if they overheard her confession.

 

As soon as she stepped into the room, Hayato right behind her, she asked for the Head Teacher. "Kamenashi-san, what can I do for you?" Morita-sensei, the Head Teacher, asked as she approached the young woman.

 

"Can I talk to you in private?" Kame's hand instinctually grabbed Hayato's for support; the action did not go unnoticed by the older lady.

 

She looked between the two and saw her student's serious face, understanding the matter to be private. "Come this way."

 

She escorted them to her private office, the door shutting behind them with a sure click. Morita-sensei sat herself behind her desk and gestured for Kame and Hayato to do the same. Kame took a seat, but Hayato remained standing, choosing to remain as close to his girlfriend as possible.

 

"So, is there a problem, Kamenashi-san?"

 

"Yes, a big problem, sensei." Kame exhaled as she prepared herself. Her hand clutched tighter to Hayato's and he returned it with a comforting squeeze.

 

"Morita-sensei, I'm pregnant."

 

A deafening silence followed. This was almost as hard as when she told her parents. What happened from here could change a lot of things in her life. She looked earnestly at the head teacher, hoping she didn't have to repeat what she'd confessed.

 

Finally, Morita-sensei spoke. "I'm...I'm honestly shocked, Kamenashi-san. To have done something so- reckless! Especially when you'll be graduating this year! And I presume this is the father?" She looked at Hayato with suspicion.

 

"It would be more reckless of me to destroy this child's life before it even began! I've made this mistake, and I am taking responsibility alongside the father of this child."

 

"Did he force you into this? I would have thought you smarter than that—falling for the charms of an older man."

 

Hayato caught the disapproving look the head teacher gave him and scowled right back. He was about to retort when Kame interjected.

 

"Hayato is a great man, and brave for wanting to take responsibility as well! We made this decision knowing the potential consequences! I am now informing you of this decision because I want to be able to continue my schooling, even while under these circumstances!"

 

Morita-sensei did not even hesitate. "Not possible. We cannot accommodate a pregnant student. The students will surely be distracted with your situation, affecting grades and the curriculum of the school. In addition to that, it will look bad on our records when parents are looking for a potential high school and they see that we allow promiscuity among our students."

 

"Then let me do independent study! I'll do all of the school work and exams, but from my home. I wouldn't be a distraction then!"

 

"Again, to accommodate to your mistake would be waste of our time and effort. I'm sorry, Kamenashi-san, but you must leave the school."

 

Hayato could no longer restrain himself. "What do you mean she has to leave?! Just because she might tarnish your school's reputation?! Is there really no teacher willing to handle her school work?"

 

"Hayato-" Kame tried calling.

 

"No, Kazu, this isn't fair to you!"

 

"Nothing is fair in life, young man. In fact, it isn't fair that you charmed your into her pants and ruined her life." Morita-sensei sarcastically replied.

 

Tears were starting to spring into Kame's eyes, but she held them back long enough to stand up, and grab Hayato's arm, preparing to walk them out. "Sensei, thank you for teaching me. I will take my leave now."

 

Hayato was about to protest when Kame began dragging them out, but he saw how broken she looked and let himself be taken away, but not without murderously glaring at the head teacher. His upset stare did not diminish until they were back at Hayato's bike.

 

He watched as his girlfriend sat herself sullenly on the bike, placing the helmet on her head. "Let's go home, Hayato..." came her muffled voice.

 

Hayato sighed and complied, getting on the bike as well and driving them home. As soon as they were back home, Hayato called his work and asked for the day off, feeling it wasn't right to leave Kame by herself.

 

She was dejected; sulking on their bed, obviously distraught that she'd been expelled from her school. She didn't know what was worse, the fact that got expelled for being pregnant, or being expelled and it was her last year. Only another half a year and she would have graduated! And now she wouldn't get to finish because they refused to help her out.

 

"Maybe I should have gotten an abortion..." she suddenly whispered.

 

The whisper barely made it to Hayato's ears, but he still heard it. His eyes widened and he looked at her furiously, "You're honestly thinking of aborting our baby now, just because you can't finish school?"

 

He grabbed the ultrasound picture of their three month old baby and shoved it in her face. "What happened to you saying you'll handle your mistake? That no matter what comes, you'll love and care for this child?"

 

He dropped to his knees in front of Kame and leaned his hands in to brush against her small bump. "Honey, I'm ready to give up everything for this child too. If everyone's going to look at us funny, or we'll be sneered and jeered at for what we've done, I'll still keep loving you _and_ this child."

 

Kame's started to cry, her tears streaming down her face. Hayato wiped them away with his thumbs before landing a light kiss on her lips. "It's not the end of the world. We'll figure something out; we'll make sure you graduate like you deserve and you'll help our baby with everything you've got."

 

"H-Haya...I'm sorry for saying that..." Kame's hand landed on her bump and she stroked the hard flesh. Guilt hit her and she frowned. "I never meant it; I could never kill our baby. I just wish life wouldn't be so hard on us."

 

"We can't have everything, Kazuya. We just have to keep heading down this less traveled path we've chosen."

 

She gave a small smile through her tear streaked face. "How could I have been so lucky to have you as my boyfriend?"

 

"I ask myself why I'm so lucky to have you too." Hayato leaned in for another kiss, the lip lock soon turning into a cuddle fest on their bed.

 

XXXXX

 

Nearly a month had passed since Kame had been expelled from school. Ueda was pissed at the school for doing that to her best friend, but she knew she couldn't do anything to change the teachers' minds about the situation. Instead, Ueda came over as much as she could, teaching Kame what they had learned in class, figuring it was the least she could do; Kame was very appreciative.

 

At first Hayato didn't immediately want to go back to work after seeing how upset his girlfriend was. He didn't want anything bad to happen to her and the baby while she was distraught. He ended up skipping work for a max of two days before Kame reprimanded him.

 

He only went back to work after making sure Kame was settled and comfortable. She was a little at odds over what to do at first now that she was expelled from school, but she decided that organizing the Yabuki residence would be fine in the meantime. Hayato didn't want her to do anything strenuous, but Kame threw him the 'I'm pregnant, not ill, and if you don't allow me this, then you'll never touch me again' argument which instantly made him surrender.

 

Hayato was touched—Kame was truly strong. She faced so much in the last few months; it was honestly a surprise that she hadn't broken down yet. She refused to let the expulsion get her down and made sure to stay in a good mood always. Her love for the baby and Hayato was what kept her going.

 

He was bringing out a tray of meals when he heard the front door open, having him yell out a welcome to the new customers. Right as soon as he was done delivering the meals, he turned around only to run into the short form Yankumi.

 

"Yabuki-san!"

 

He jumped back from the pig-tailed teacher in shock. "What are you doing here, Yankumi?!"

 

"Why, I'm visiting my old students of course! Didn't you miss me?"

 

"Yankumi, is that you?" Kuma's smiling face popped out from the kitchen, followed by his whole body as he came over to hug his old teacher.

 

"See, Kuma misses me!" Yankumi held her arms out for Hayato to return the favor. He did no such thing, instead he brushed past her to deliver the next set of food. He smugly smiled when he heard her complain behind his back.

 

"So have you chosen your path?" Yankumi suddenly threw out.

 

Once again, Hayato nearly forgot he had consulted with his old teacher. She knew what trouble he recently gotten into and was once again helping him out. Funny how that was always the case...

 

"Yes, actually," he started off slowly. The next set of meals were brought to their customers before Hayato sat down with Yankumi. "We're still together...I've decided to take responsibility."

 

That earned him a slap on the back of approval by the yakuza teacher. "I knew you'd make the right decision. And how have things been so far?"

 

"Difficult," he confessed. "Not everyone's very happy with the news that I knocked up my girlfriend. Her family's disowned her, and now she's been expelled from school."

 

He could feel Yankumi's concerned gaze and knew it was only a matter of time before she made her offer to help. It was so like his teacher to do that: help troubled students in any way she can.

 

"Between being disowned and being expelled, Kazuya's mildly okay, but I know she's upset about this. There's not much I can do to help her though, other than offer her my comfort and love."

 

"I'm sure she's appreciative, Yabuki-san. You're all the help that matters."

 

"I just wish she could at least finish her schooling. I know what that means to her."

 

A moment of thoughtful silence passed between them before Yankumi raised a determined fist in the air. "I think I can help you with that. I'll teach her at Kurogin."

 

Hayato's did a double-take look at Yankumi. Was she serious?! "Kurogin?! How are you going to get her in at Kurogin? It's an all boys school, for one! And she's _pregnant_! They'll never take her."

 

"I'll ask Sawatori-sensei to allow it. He can't say no; I'll make sure of it. Don't worry Hayato-kun, your girlfriend will finish her studies and graduate with everyone else."

 

Seeing that assured look in her face, Hayato knew things were going to be alright. Yankumi had that uncanny ability to fix situations like these. He offered the older woman a smile before finally giving in and hugging her.

 

"I'll come back when it's settled. And when I return, I want to meet this girlfriend of yours, Yabuki."

 

XXXXX

 

It was a week after his meeting with Yankumi. As she promised, she somehow managed to get Kame enrolled into Kurogin, despite not being male _and_ being pregnant. Keeping up his end of the promise, Hayato brought his girlfriend to Kuma's to meet his eccentric teacher.

 

Kame was dressed in a medium length dress with a blazer to cover her arms. Her bump was a lot more apparent now at five months along, and a few of the customers were staring at her because of it, but she looked happy and beautiful, and Hayato was proud that she was.

 

Yankumi came in with her usual bouncy demeanor. She saw Kame standing next to Hayato and unexpectedly gave the young girl a hug. "You must be Kamenashi-san."

 

"Uh- yes? A-Are you...Yamaguchi-sensei?"

 

"The one and only!" The teacher's warm smile was disarming and soon enough, Kame was smiling too. "I've heard about your situation. I'm glad I could help you in some way!"

 

Kame bowed politely. "Yes, thank you very much for going through the trouble to help me."

 

"Anything for my students. You deserve to have that diploma in your hands—especially after all you've been through so far."

 

Yankumi's hand came up and she looked suggestively at Kame's bump. "May I...touch it?"

 

The young woman blushed but nodded, allowing the teacher to feel how big she was. "A new life is so precious. Congratulations."

 

Kame was honestly surprised. The yakuza-heiress was one of the few people to congratulate her on her pregnancy and impending parenthood. Everyone else stared with disdain, and she knew exactly why as well. "T-thank you."

 

It didn't take long before Yankumi and Kame were talking about all sorts of things. They ended up sharing a discussion all afternoon and into the evening. Hayato watched them while he worked, and he was secretly pleased that Kame had come to like his old teacher as well.

 

Thanks to Yankumi, he remembered that there were still people who cared, who would help in whatever way they can. She helped him once, and now she was helping him again, but through his girlfriend. He'd forever be grateful to that woman.

 

Hayato finished up his shift at Kuma's and approached the two ladies to tell them it was time to split. "Ready, Kazu?"

 

"Oh. Is it time to go already?"

 

"You didn't notice the time? You both have class tomorrow, so it's time to go." He teased.

 

Kame smiled when she remembered that she was going to be going to school again. "Again, Yamaguchi-sensei, I could never thank you enough for helping me."

 

The couple parted ways with their teacher before heading home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read the news at my LJ, I've made the decision to post all of my newest fanfiction and fanfiction updates on here, AO3.
> 
> This doesn't mean I'm deleting my LJ. All of my old and completed stories will remain on LJ and will remain public. Again, because I will be using AO3 to post any future stories or updates, I'll only be using LJ to post the links to the stories.
> 
> Here's the full post about the changes to my LJ: [HERE](http://mastrmanipul8r.livejournal.com/38401.html)
> 
> As usual, thanks for reading, guys! :D


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't think I'd ever finish this, did ya? Well, to be honest, I didn't think so either.
> 
> Read my note at the end for a better explanation.

Kame entered Shirokin with an understandable amount of nervousness: she was the only _girl_ in the school, and she was noticeably four months _pregnant_. It really was a wonder how Yankumi managed to get her in despite all the rules, and the fact that they were a little more than half way through the school year, now in December.

 

She was given an extra large version of the uniform in some effort to cover her tummy. It only helped so much, but she was glad it was comfortable at least. She wanted to be as comfortable as possible if the stories of Yankumi’s rowdy class of delinquents were true.

 

Hayato told her how crazy his class was and frowned upon hearing the extremely violent gang fights he used to participate in, but he reassured her that with Yankumi in there, nothing would go wrong. She knew how to handle these kids, even with her ditzy attitude.

 

Kame slid the classroom door open and was met with a multitude of glaring eyes. She gulped but proceeded to stand next to Yankumi’s desk to await her introduction.

 

Yankumi yelled over the class’s sudden chatter to gain their attention. “Okay, guys, calm down! We have a new student joining our class: Kamenashi Kazuya-san! And yes, she is a girl.”

 

The classroom exploded in a ruckus upon hearing the announcement. “Eh?? Yankumi, why is there a girl here? Has the school gone co-ed?”

 

“Kamenashi-san is a special exception, and she’s under my care, so you boys better treat her nicely!” The teacher’s yakuza accent came through in her words despite her cheery disposition. Kame got shivers hearing it; she understood what Hayato meant a little better now.

 

Yankumi grinned at Kame and gestured for her to take a seat. Kame sat herself at the desk in the center of the room, earning looks from the entire class. She wanted to shrink into her chair under their stares but held strong, sitting up straight with her head held high.

 

Once Yankumi started her class lecture, the boys finally looked away from her, giving Kame peace of mind...if only for a short while.

 

XXXXX

 

As soon as lunchtime rolled around, Kame took out her bento at her desk to enjoy the meal Hayato had made her. However, a group of shadows surrounded her desk. She looked up to see some of the books boys gathered around.

 

“Hey, Kamenashi! Why’d you come here? Get into big trouble at your old school? Must be if you’re in _our_ class.” One of the boys, who had blonde-dyed hair and a headband keeping it back, spoke up.

 

Another one, burly in size and hair shaved low, laughed. “Right? You really can’t judge a book by its cover. I mean Kamenashi-kun, you’re so small! What could you have possibly done to get kicked from school?”

 

She rolled her eyes at their inquiries, but she understood their curiosity. She got kicked out of school for something not nearly as bad as half the guys in 3-D have probably done, but because she personally knew Yankumi, she got put into the delinquent class of an All-Boys High School. Of course that would raise suspicion. She didn’t have to tell them that she was at Kurogin because she was pregnant though; that was none of their business.

 

“Pfft! Her, small? Ano...Kame-kun, you’re a little fat for your size. You’d be really cute if you cut down a few pounds.” This boy almost looked like Hayato, with the blonde highlights in his hair and over confident smirk.

 

“Mmm, that’s true. She does have a really pretty face, but you can totally see the chub on her.”

 

Kame could no longer stand their annoying questions and statements. She glared at the obnoxious boy in front of her and instantly corrected him. “You want to know why I’m here? I’m _pregnant_. I got kicked out of my old school because I want to keep the baby. And it doesn’t matter what _you_ think about me because I’m already happily taken.”

 

The boys that surrounded Kame stared at her incredulously, almost as if they weren’t sure they’d heard her correctly. She wrapped her arms around her torso, protecting her large bump from their focused gaze.

 

“Hey, did she say she was pregnant?” One of the boys asked.

 

“Pretty sure I heard right...”

 

Before the boys could comment once more, Yankumi, as per usual, suddenly appeared between Kame and the boys, asking what was going on.

 

“Yankumi! You brought a _pregnant_ girl into our class?!”

 

The yakuza teacher ignored them and smiled at Kame. “How are you doing, Kamenashi-san? Are the boys giving you a hard time?”

 

The pregnant woman eased her arms away from her belly, giving it a gentle stroke in the process “Nothing’s wrong, Yankumi. I just broke the news to them is all.”

 

Yankumi gave Kame’s belly a pat as well. “Good! Well I’m sure they’ll have no problem with it.” Kame was oblivious to the warning tone in Yankumi’s voice, but the boys of 3-D heard it clearly and shivered in response.

 

The boy who had teased her about her weight earlier, shyly came forward and apologized. “I, err, I didn’t know...Can I t-touch it too?”

 

Kame smiled. “Sure!” She let the young man carefully lay a hand on her tummy.

 

“Wow...it’s actually kind of hard!” The other boys began to gather closer, looking eager to feel her stomach as well.

 

The rest of the day was filed with the boys hanging around Kame and asking her all sorts of things about her and the baby.

 

XXXXX

 

“So? How was your first day?” Hayato looked at her curiously as he wiped down the restaurant tables.

 

Kame let out a loud sigh, hand automatically landing on her round stomach. “I can’t believe you used to be one of them!”

 

“Were they that bad?”

 

“They were so loud and rowdy! I could barely concentrate on what Yankumi was saying. I honestly don’t know how Yankumi does it!”

 

Hayato chuckled, understanding exactly what his girlfriend meant. “Just give them a chance and you’ll get used to it. As for your classmates, they’ll accept you soon enough.”

 

“Mm, we’ll see about that. Once they learned I was pregnant, everyone wanted to feel my tummy. It didn’t feel like a classroom bonding experience at all." Kame couldn't help rolling her eyes at the memory of excited chatter over her swollen stomach. “I’m at least glad I’m back in school. I really want that diploma; it’ll reassure me _that_ much more that we’ll be okay when the baby is here.”

 

The young man approached Kame and leaned down to peck her forehead. “As long as you’re happy, luv. That’s the most important thing.” He rubbed Kame’s bump with a smile and earned her happy grin in reply.

 

“Haya...”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“The baby and I want a bowl of shoyu ramen. Oh, with extra seaweed too please!”

 

He chuckled. “One shoyu ramen for my amazing girlfriend, coming right up!”

 

XXXXX

 

December ended quickly, bringing with it a new year and a fresh start. With Kame busy at school and Hayato with the numerous jobs he had taken on to support his family, Kame had soon reached the beginning of her fifth month, her distended belly obviously showing through any clothes she wore, even the extra large uniform she wore for school.

 

Kame was most certainly receiving scathing looks from strangers now, disapproval in how young of a mother she was. But she made sure not to let them get to her, she went through each day smiling and happy because that was how she genuinely felt, even in her situation.

 

She was happy she had a loving boyfriend and that her pregnancy was going over smoothly. Her best friend did all she could to support her friend and the boys in Shirokin had warmed up to her completely, defending her from the rude comments some schoolmates would say about her.

 

Hayato’s father and brother were also very supportive, and it made her wish her own family was also supportive. She hadn’t talked with them for months; there were times where she felt homesick, missing her brothers’ banter, her father’s light scolding, her mother’s cooking.

 

Thoughts of her mother’s cooking spurred her to go grocery shopping and attempt to recreate a recipe of her mom’s. Ueda kindly offered to join her, though it could also be because her best friend and boyfriend were making sure she didn’t go anywhere alone. She didn’t terribly mind though, enjoying the company her best friend provided.

 

As they walked down one of the aisles, Ueda carefully looking over the various brands of curry seasoning, she casually asked, “So have you learned the gender yet? Or are you keeping it secret?”

 

“Haya and I want to know the baby’s gender, we just haven’t asked Dr. Kimura what it is yet. I’ll ask at the next appointment.”

 

“Hmm, well then which gender did you want? And don’t just say you don’t care, so long as he or she is healthy.”

 

Kame grabbed a couple of vegetables and put them in her basket as she thought about the question. “Okay, well I suppose I’d really want a girl. I’d like to have a close relationship with her, closer than what my mother gave me anyways.” She stroked her swollen tummy at the thought and smiled sadly.

 

When Kame directed her smile at Ueda, it brightened up considerably and she looked happy again. “Really though, I have a feeling it’s a boy, and I would still want to very close to him too.”

 

“Hmm, a boy would be fine, but I’m kinda hoping you’d have a girl too. I can be her super awesome Auntie Tatsuya who spoils her with super awesome clothes and shoes.”

 

“Auntie Tatsuya...if you want that title, that better mean you’ll be around to clean up smelly diapers.”

 

Ueda grimaced. “I guess that is a part of the job description.”

 

As the two girls turned down a new aisle, Kame stopped in her tracks. “M-Mom?”

 

Kame’s mother stood there dumbfounded upon seeing her daughter. Without a second thought, Kame moved to embrace her mom, her swollen tummy unavoidably brushing up against her mother’s front.

 

Mrs. Kamenashi’s arms awkwardly wrapped around Kame’s form to return the hug, but the moment was kept short when she pulled away after a quick moment. “I-It’s been a while, Kazuya.” Her eyes were focused on Kame’s belly.

 

Kame could see kept the slight disgust and disapproval on her mother’s face, and wisely kept her own disappointment off of hers. “Yes, it has. And things have been going just fine, in case you were wondering.”

 

“I’m surprised that young man hasn’t left you yet.”

 

“And he won’t! Hayato loves me _and_ the baby. We’re both serious about this!”

 

Mrs. Kamenashi frowned. “So he says. Kazuya, what’s to say he won’t leave you once the baby is born? And then you won’t have anyone to support you. What job will you be able to get then? Without a high school diploma you won’t be able to get a good job. Don’t think I don’t know about your expulsion from school. They notified us immediately.”

 

Kame’s emotions were getting the better of her and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Ueda grabbed her shoulder and squeezed it to offer support. Kame bit her lip and tried to calm herself down before addressing her mother again.

 

“I’m sorry that I’ve failed you as a daughter, that I’ve embarrassed you because of the mistake I’ve made, but I’m not sorry about making the decision to keep this child, to stay with Hayato and make things work. But if you’re still disappointed in me and still want nothing to do with me, then that’s okay. I’ll soon be a Yabuki anyways. As soon as I’m a legal adult, I’ll be marrying Hayato. I’m happy, mom, and I don’t have any regrets. You should be happy for me too.”

 

Kame slowly backed away from her mother, the tears now reaching her eyes. “I guess this really is goodbye then, mom. I love you.” She took Ueda’s hand and dragged her best friend away with her to the cash register, quickly paying for her items before leading them out of the store.

 

She brought the two of them to their favorite park, and as soon as she sat down on her favorite bench, she sobbed her eyes out. Ueda remained silent through it all, eventually sitting down and embracing her best friend tightly. “It’s okay, Kame. Everything will be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sincerest apologies, everyone! I'm honestly surprised if you're still following this story!
> 
> If you've kept up with me the past year and a half, then you'd know that Jin's sudden marriage and baby announcement _really_ broke my heart. It destroyed Akame for me _forever_. Akame was my biggest inspiration, and just like that, it shattered. I literally lost all will to write anything. So for the past year, I haven't written any fanfiction and haven't read any Akame fics. I threw myself into new fandoms and new pairings to escape the pain of Akame...and it's worked pretty well. I'm well distracted by several new pairings that I've come to love, and thanks to these new fandoms, I've finally found new will to write again. This is major improvement from the stagnant no-write period I had after the announcement.
> 
> To be honest, I'm done the Akame fandom.
> 
> The Path Less Traveled will be my last Akame fanfiction. Once it is finished (and I DO intend on finishing it), I'm hanging up my hat on the Akame fandom.
> 
> But who knows what will happen? From time to time, I do re-read some of my old Akame fics and marvel at my writing, at how much time and effort I put into making it. Maybe re-reading some old work will spark interest in the pairing again. I make no promises.
> 
> Thank you to all those who have followed me from day one until now, who have loved my works so much and supported me through it all. You guys are awesome.


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